A New Beginning
by Harmonization
Summary: After a devastating fall out with the Weasley's and fame taking over his life after the death of Voldemort, all Harry longs for is a normal life. In an attempt to find happiness, he leaves for France to start over. What he finds will bring him more happiness than he ever thought possible. But what happens when that happiness is threatened by random deaths by a mysterious killer?
1. A Selfish Desire

Authors Note: Hello everyone! I really hope you all enjoy this story! The entire premise of this story was my husband's idea and we are kind of co-writing it. The story is completely planned out but we love to hear your thoughts and hopes for how you wish it to go or what you think might happen. Feel free to review or DM us! This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction so I sincerely hope I can grow more as a writer (even though it's entirely for fun), and that you all enjoy our story, as I am SUPER excited about the plot.

I do not own characters or any copyright for Harry Potter. That all belongs to J.K Rowling.

 **Edited August 31, 2019**

~oOo~

Five years. Five years had passed since the final battle at Hogwarts.

Harry sat in his office as the head of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic and ran his hands through his hair. He knew he should have been working, but over last few years, he couldn't find the motivation to do much of anything. He was supposed to be filling out paperwork for the next Death Eater hideout raid in the next few hours, but instead he found himself staring off into blank space, contemplating what his life had come to.

That's what his life consisted of nowadays: paperwork, interviews, ministry meetings, raids, more paperwork, more interviews, more meetings, and then maybe arriving back at home at a decent hour to eat supper before starting it all over again. He had to admit to himself that the routine was nice, seeing as he severely missed the routine of Hogwarts, however he couldn't shake the feeling that he was working himself to an impossible end with no real outcome, even though he knew his work was extremely important and life changing.

Even after five years, Harry was still working diligently with the Minister, Kingsley Shacklebolt to rebuild this new world without Voldemort. And they were incredibly successful in their endeavors. He worked closely with the Auror department after his training, and rebuilt from the ground up, slowly but surely growing more confident in Britain's Ministry.

One thing was certain: all the sacrifices that Harry made to defeat Voldemort left him as one of the most famous wizards of all time. Not only was he written and immortalized in every history book ever written since he was a baby, he was now the face of new hope and change. People came up to him in the streets asking him to do the weirdest things like cast a spell with their wand, sign an article in The Daily Prophet, or even kiss or hold their children. He couldn't take a simple walk on the street or get himself food without being accosted by people of all sizes, ages, and ranks.

In this new world for Harry Potter, privacy was merely a fond dream. Everything about being Harry Potter strained every good thing he had, especially his relationships with his friends and those he considered his family. Everything had changed, and even though the world changed for the better, Harry's world had changed for the worse, and only continued to do so. He hoped by the end of today, he could possibly manage to get some much-needed time to himself, no matter how selfish he appeared to be.

Because today was different. Today, Harry would embark on what he thought of as the craziest idea of his life. With only a few weeks of planning, Harry was sure he had gone mad, yet this crazy and out-of-this-world idea was the one thing giving Harry hope for his future.

The hour struck three and he decided he needed to put his affairs in order before the meeting he was supposed to be preparing for. An extreme sadness began to engulf him, as was a common emotion that he had become accustomed to in the past year, losing his best friend and Ginny, not to mention all the other rubbish he had to put up with.

Harry looked around his office as he leaned back into his chair. If he was honest with himself, he knew he was going to miss this. His dream had always been of becoming an Auror ever since his fourth year. Though he also had to admit to himself too: he was tired. He had been working non-stop with the Ministry, revamping the Auror training program and rebuilding an entire country. The Horcrux hunt left him in a state of perpetual wariness and unease and, if he were honest with himself, he just wanted to take a step back from his Auror duties, to not have fighting and defense on the brain constantly. His entire life had been sacrificed to other people at this point in his life. Despite everything he had done for everyone else, he still found that being the head of the Auror department had major drawbacks, one being the people he was in charge of that didn't exactly take him seriously or respected him as a seasoned fighter. Most looked down on him or scoffed in his direction, saying he was inexperienced in actual battle. That's what happens when your only qualification for your position is that you're The Boy-Who-Lived. It was a rank he wasn't sure he deserved, and most definitely didn't earn of his own merit.

Harry sighed heavily and put his head in his hands to try and clear his mind. The stresses from the weeks before weighing heavily on his mind. His impeding headache throbbed in his temples and slowly eased as Harry's closed eyes blocked out the surrounding light. Harry opened his eyes and let his hands drop, slapping the desk in their decent. He then bent over and opened a hidden drawer located underneath his desk. Inside were the Elder Wand, his Invisibility Cloak, and some documents bearing a new name and face.

Carefully and with shaking hands, Harry hid these items away inside his robes. He stood and walked to the front of his office and glanced around his office wistfully one last time, trying to commit it to memory, and closed the door behind him with a resounding sense of finality. Barely sparing a second, Harry tried to commit the feel of the wooden door beneath his fingertips before his hand came to rest at his side, and off he went without a backward glance.

Walking with purpose, Harry hoped he wouldn't run into anyone he knew, mainly Arthur or Ron. Even though Ron was talking about running Weasley's Wizard Weazies with George, his former friend still worked at the ministry with Hermione. While Hermione chose to be an Auror like Harry, she had a more behind the scenes position in the Auror department. Ron wanted nothing to do with being an Auror and therefore worked alongside Arthur. Harry could tell this bothered Ron considerably, seeing as Harry knew Ron still wanted all the glory of being an Auror without the added responsibilities and work, but he handled it well enough, considering he had Hermione to reign him in. Harry still didn't know how he felt about his two best friends being together or if they even worked together. He often found himself wondering if he would still be speaking with Hermione if she wasn't dating Ron, but he didn't let himself dwell on that aspect. It just made his decision that much easier, knowing he had no one to crawl back to.

As Harry strode out of the department and across the hallway to the meeting room, he saw Ron. It looked like he just left the _Misuse of Muggle Artifact Department_ and was perusing a stack of papers to bring to Hermione _._ He wasn't planning on seeing Ron today. And any other day for that matter, but especially today. Nevertheless, he decided that if he didn't say something to Ron, he would regret it later.

"Hey, Ron." Harry murmured when he was within hearing distance.

Ron was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Harry and nearly stopped in his tracks. "Oh. Hey, Harry." He lowered the papers that were occupying his mind, if ever so slightly. "Erm, what are you up to today?"

"The team and I are about to go on a raid in a Death Eater's old house." Harry started conversationally, feeling the air thicken as though Ron felt entirely too awkward to be standing there. This was Harry's last attempt at a friendly encounter with his former friend. Might as well try. "They're expecting at least three to four individuals that are going to be apt at coming back to the ministry for questioning."

There was an awkward pause before Harry countered Ron's question, feeling that Ron wasn't going to carry on unless prompted. "And erh, what about you?"

"I have to go back to George's shop." Ron stated matter-of-factly, sighing. "He made me part owner last week since Fred..." Ron said with an expression that was almost annoyed and angry at having to explain.

Harry nodded once, staring at his feet and around Ron's head and stammered, "I see." Another awkward pause. "Well, I need to be off now."

"Yeah, me too." Ron said tersely, turning his attention back to his papers in order to keep his hands and his eyes busy; in order to not have to acknowledge Harry's presence at all.

"Goodbye, Ron."

"Yeh, bye." And off he went.

After watching Ron's retreating back for a moment, Harry began walking much slower toward the meeting, his heart aching. He never wanted to hurt his friends, yet anything he said, did, or didn't do seemed to make them resent him. He couldn't live on with more clipped conversations, wishing things would go back to normal, and this last encounter with Ron cemented the decision into Harry's heart.

Harry continued on his way to the Auror meeting and walked through the huge arches with the entire existence of Aurors' names, alive and dead, inscribed on them. The incredible sight still brought the same feeling of awe that he had when he first began his training.

"Shit Harry, I thought you were going to be late." Ramon Galfar guffawed. "Needed to take a break Mr. Savior-of-the-wizarding-world?"

"Sorry Ramon, had to talk to Ron before leaving." Harry replied, ignoring his mocking.

"Alright come to room 213A. The portkey is ready."

 _Fuck! Am I really going to go through with this? I'm going to have to be in constant hiding, disguises, everything!_ Harry's resolve was wavering slightly, and internally he knew this was more than likely one of the worst ideas he'd probably ever had.

"Come on already, I'm going to have 14 children by the time you get over here." Ramon bantered.

"Merlin, if any girl is willing to give you any number of children, then we know the Gene pool of the wizarding society is going downhill fast." Harry said, gifting him a small smile, glad he was able to retort some sass back at him to shut him up properly.

With their entire team laughing at Ramon's expense, Harry began the meeting and then they were ready. They all grabbed hold of the Portkey and felt that pulling sensation on his stomach, landing just outside the incredibly shabby manor house.

He landed with graceful perfection standing in front of Nott Manor. Now that the mission started, every Auror was in battle mode. No joking, no smiling, and serious expressions marred their faces, though there was an excess of eye rolls whenever Harry gave an order.

Harry took lead as the Aurors followed a V formation into the house. All sides were covered, and they were expecting anything to happen. If their sources were correct, there were three different rooms to go through in the atrium alone, and Harry decided to split their efforts.

"Davis and Ramon, you take the left corridor and Brian and Cynthia take the right stairway. I'll go down the middle." Harry ordered.

" _Sir_ , shouldn't we leave one person by the entrance?" Cynthia asked in her same snobbish tone that she saved specially for Harry. "That way we can have a front vantage point in case you get over powered on the upper levels."

"No! We don't want them to have any methods to escape. This is one of the last known uncaptured Death Eaters. We have to take calculated risks." Harry whispered loudly, not wanted to alert the people in the house of their arrival, though he heard shuffling above his head on the second floor. They must've had a detection charm in place in the Manor. "Now GO!"

There were murmurs of disagreement and rude comments under their breaths, but they listened to orders reluctantly as trained.

Harry was walking down the long corridor double checking every angle of the place as he walked. One thought was still going through his mind. _I guess there's no backing out now. I'm going to do it._ Harry reached the end of the hallway and heard muttering on the other side of the door.

Harry launched a blasting spell at the door that made it fly off its hinges. Henry Nott and Theodore Nott were standing, their wands at the ready. Harry saw the flash of the green light, and transfigured the door into a statue in front of him, blocking the curse.

He summersaulted to the side and launched three cutting curses at the two members. One managed to hit Mr. Nott in the face, effectively blinding him. Theodore launched a variety of different curses before having a blasting curse land directly in his chest, knocking him out cold.

Henry Nott was screaming in agony as he tried to find purchase on the old wood floor; and his wand. An easy _Flipendo_ knocked him out cold. Then Harry began his plan.

He took out the Elder wand and set scorch marks around him, coming from all directions, as thought there was a protective ward or curse on the house. Knowing that everyone would wonder where he was, Harry left his phoenix feather core wand regretfully at the place of the scorch marks. He held the Elder wand in his hand but stopped almost immediately as he was ready to apparate. He almost forgot in his haste that the Ministry would be able to detect any apparation within these walls.

Almost immediately, he heard footsteps resounding above him, making their way quickly to the source of the commotion he just caused. _Shit. Guess I'm going to use the invisibility cloak till I'm far enough away to disapparate._

Harry threw on his invisibility cloak, and was tip toeing around his teammates as they threw the door open and rushed in to the unconscious figures of the Nott family. He was barely stepping foot outside the door before he heard a few members of his team crying out in anger, fear, agony, and confusion.

"Why, Harry!" Ramon wailed. "Why did he insist on doing this alone?!" Harry heard a dull, meaty thud, as though Ramon had punched the wall.

"Damnit! Why didn't he fucking listen to me?" Cynthia yelled. The rest became muffled as Harry drifted further and further from the manor, rushing away as quick as he could to put some distance between them.

Harry's resolve was wavering, so he repeated his reasons for leaving like a mantra in his head. _I need to go on my own instead of ruining everyone's life. I need my fame not to interfere with my life or the life of those I care about. If Britain ever needs my service then I will be back to do whatever I can. Until then I want to go and explore life as a normal non-famous wizard_. Harry thought over and over again, excitement and sadness gripping his heart like a vice.

His life was about to start anew for the third time, and Harry felt a kindling of true happiness spark within him for the first time in months.

~oOo~

Harry sat down in one of the Blacks' many hideout locations that no one living would ever know about. He had all the tools necessary to disappear, and was waiting on his personal Gringotts letter with his fake identity to show up.

 _The amount of bribery I just did to make a fake identity in the wizarding world is crazy. I mean 10,000 galleons for the initial Identification with 1,000 a year for hush up money._ Harry thought as he opened the previously blank documents, shaking his head, and saw his new identity scrolled out before him. _I wonder how many Death Eaters got away or had the potential to get away with the help of the Goblins?_

"Stupid, fucking owl," Harry grumbled as the owl took a righteous shit on his table.

As the owl flew away, Harry examined the letter with all documentation. Harry's identification showed him as "Jake R. Meier". He was 23 years old, and went to Durmstrang. He was an average student that excelled in Potions. _Well fuck, I'm awful at potions. Too bad the Goblins couldn't let me choose what I 'excelled' at._ "Guess it's time to learn," Harry muttered to himself.

Harry began modifying himself with glamour spells to match the man that showed in his new pictures.

His hair changed to hazelnut brown and grew out a few more inches, making his hair like it was when he first went to the Quidditch World Cup. It didn't have the tell-tale messiness and was wavier than his normal hair, just reaching the tops of his shoulders. _Maybe I should grow my hair out like this normally. One less step I'd have to do._

His eyes became a dark shade of brown, and the remnants of the scar on his head vanished also. Harry then looked down, and noticed the Daily Prophet was lying on his table next to the bird shit.

 _Our dear Harry Potter is on his 8th day of being missing. The ministry is unable to locate a body, but did confirm that scorch marks were found at the scene along with his wand. It seems as though a curtain of sadness has fallen over the wizarding community today as we are led to believe the worst has happened. Prayers go out to the family and friends of Harry Potter. For more information on his life and what you can do to help find the Wizarding World's Savior, turn to Page 11._

Guilt washed over Harry and he quickly became unable to gather his thoughts. He felt awful for putting his friends through this because of his own selfish desires _. I'm already committed; there is no going back._ Deciding it was now or never, Harry apparated to the French Magical customs.

After speaking with a few representatives about moving to a new country, he handed over his bags and identification. This was the final step before putting himself into Magical France; the final hurdle.

"Hello Monsieur Meier," the officer spoke.

"Good morning." Harry grinned back at the officer.

"What brings you to Magical France?"

"Looking to work in an apothecary and further my knowledge in the art of potion brewing." In reality, he had just pulled this excuse about potions out of his ass, but it was at least a start. Maybe this could be something he followed through with…

"What school did you attend?" the officer asked in a very straightforward manner, checking over his papers.

"I attended Durmstrang Institute." Harry replied confidently.

The officer checked a box and continued asking trivial questions to see if they compared with the paperwork. Harry had, of course, studied his new documents to memorization and hoped he played the part convincingly enough, trying to channel his inner Viktor Krum as inspiration, minus the accent, of course.

After a few more checks and scans the officer said, "Well, all your information checks out. Enjoy your time here."

Harry walked out of the customs, travel documents in hand, into what some might consider paradise. It was a large shopping area with a lot of delicious food items. It seemed almost surreal to Harry that this place existed with seemingly no disturbance from Voldemort's war. He kept walking looking at all the shops, and places before coming to a Wizarding Apartment in the middle of the shopping district.

Harry walked into the apartment leasing office, and asked how much it was to rent an apartment for an entire year.

"The price is 35 Galleons a month." The lady at the front desk responded. Harry paid the entire year in full.

After Harry secured his place to live, he wanted to go find a place to work after a quick bite to eat. Traversing the entire shopping district, he was denied employment in five shops. This was more than likely because of him having no work experience to show on his new documentation.

It also didn't help that this particular district was also occupied by muggle shops as well. The few wizarding shops he was able to find were only apparent if a wizard stepped into the store. Eventually, he turned the corner and found the last shop in the district.

Harry entered _Bernie's Apothecary_. Apparently, everyone and anyone who knew anything about potions knew about this place. It was known around the world as one of the best shops in the world because of the Potions Master who owned the shop.

Rumors about the owner swirled around, but not one had enough validity to confirm or deny anything except for one thing: Bernie was one of the most mysterious people around. He was also super cheap and incredibly sarcastic and bitter. If a sickle could save your life, he wouldn't give it to you unless you'd give him a wizard's oath to give him 100 galleons for that one sickle, and he'd grumble about it the entire time. This gave Harry an idea.

"Bernie!" Harry spoke confidently as he strolled into the shop.

A man who appeared to be in his late sixties or seventies who gave Harry the vibe that he was staring at a grumpy Ollivander turned around to gaze at the young man through narrowed eyes. "What do you want, boy?"

"Well, I want to work here under your supervision, and learn as much as I can from you." Harry said with a serious expression.

"Dear fuck, did your parents throw your head into a wall when you were a baby?" Bernie asked.

"No, they didn't but—" Harry began.

"Well, haven't you heard I hate to pay anyone for anything?" Bernie interrupted. "I can do this entire job myself and I would never have to pay you a knut."

Harry stepped forward as the man turned away again. "That's where you're in luck! I want to work for free to get some job experience and knowledge from the best potions master that's ever lived." Harry grinned.

Bernie stopped in his tracks and grinned mischievously. "Well fuck me silly, this is the first time anyone has come in here trying to work for free." Bernie said in surprise, turning around slowly as he eyed Harry from a distance.

After a moment, Bernie walked forward and sized Harry up, scrutinizing his features. His eyes narrowed suspiciously as his eyes wandered over Harry's face.

"What's your name, boy?" Bernie asked, eyes still narrowed. He was so close to Harry that he felt a small puff of Bernie's breath graze his skin.

Harry extended his hand to shake and cleared his throat slightly. "Jake Meier."

Bernie took a step back without shaking his hand. "Well Jake Meier, show up in one week, and forget everything you've ever learned about potions. You're about to become my bitch while I'm teaching and working you to death. Hopefully you have at least a basic understanding of potions to work at this shop."

Harry lowered his arm and thanked him for his generosity. "Yeah, yeah." Bernie said, waving him off.

As Harry began to walk out of Bernie's store with a giant smile on his face at having finally accomplished the last item on his list, a beautiful blonde woman entered the apothecary. She also seemed vaguely familiar. Harry walked slowly to listen in on the conversation before exiting.

"Hello, Bernie." The woman said, seeming to float over to where the shop owner now stood.

"Well hello, my faithful customer." Bernie chuckled.

"I'm here to pick up that potion for my pa again." Her voice rang in the air like the soothing melody of bells. Harry didn't even realize he was fully stopped and staring at her back. He could have swore he knew her from somewhere, although it was hard to tell from just her back.

"As you are and vigilant as ever." Bernie said as he reached underneath the counter. "I brewed it myself last night. That will be 50 galleons for the ingredients alone."

"Here you are." the woman almost sang. "Are you sure we can't also pay for the actual potion as well?"

Bernie raised a hand as though to cut her off. "No, my dear. I've said this before and I'll say it again, I just want you to replenish the ingredients I use." He smiled warmly at her and shooed her in the direction of the door. "Have a nice week, Miss Delacour." Bernie said with a grin as he waved her goodbye.

Harry was fixated on the spot as Gabrielle passed him. He didn't expect to see anyone he recognized this soon, not to mention that Harry immediately became transfixed with the woman's beauty. Her hair flowed across her in wavy tresses of gold over her shoulders and back, her bright blue eyes shone and danced even in the subdued light, her rounded face was free of any marks and her body curved in a very tantalizing way. What Harry noticed first however, was her radiant smile that forced the air to freeze in Harry's lungs at the very sight.

While these thoughts filled his mind, Harry hadn't even realized he was staring directly at Gabrielle. Her scent filled his senses as she passed him, a combination of vanilla and flowers, and he almost followed her out the door before he caught himself. Her beauty was intoxicating and although Harry knew she was part veela, he still had to remind himself that she didn't know him: at least not this version of him, and that she was a human being who did not deserve to be gawked at. He knew that feeling all too well too.

She almost stopped at the arch of the door, potion in hand to give Harry a faint, shy smile. Harry returned her gesture in kind and watched her step out the door and disappear into the crowd with a swish of her golden hair.


	2. Intro to Potions

Author's Note: Thank you so much to every reading our story. Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own characters or any copyright for Harry Potter. That all belongs to J.K Rowling.

 **Edited July 18, 2019**

~oOo~

"I swear, boy, you have the potions etiquette of a fucking four-year-old riding a broomstick." Bernie swore as he looked into the depths of his cauldron and observed his ingredients preparation off to the side.

"I thought I just brewed it correctly?" Harry said defensively.

"It doesn't matter that you brewed it correctly," Bernie snapped. "It's fucking burn paste, a two-year-old could make that. It's how you prepared the ingredients and how you allowed them to touch on the cutting board. It's disgusting, and quite frankly, I'm insulted."

"How I allowed them to touch? They're all going into the same cauldron anyway, why would that even matter?" Harry countered, trying to remember back to his years of potions classes with Snape. "You're saying they're not supposed to touch at all?"

Bernie scoffed at his lack of potions knowledge. "Yes, you twat, burn paste is barely even considered a fucking potion. I can't imagine what some of your other potions would look like. Come over here. I will demonstrate it just once. You best be paying attention and don't make the same mistakes again."

Bernie quickly shoved aside Harry's cutting board to produce his own. He flamboyantly slammed his own cutting board on the counter with a smug look on his face that screamed 'You're my bitch now.' _The cutting board literally has his name inscribed in gold on it. Egotistical prick._

"The three ingredients you need are Blowfly, kelp, and Dandelion root. Also, your basic ingredients such as water and your standard ingredient," Bernie began. "Now, you see how all of these are put away from each other? This stops contamination and serves the purpose of improving the quality of your potion.

You will need two quarts of water heated exactly to 134 degrees. Once this has been done you want to cut the wings of the dead Blowfly. You will put the wings in first and stir counter clockwise three times. After the wings, you want a five-ounce glob of kelp. Add this. Stir three more times counterclockwise until it turns a pearly pink. Now add the Dandelion root. Drop that bitch in and let it simmer. DO NOT STIR. Lastly, take the body of the dead blowfly and crush it in your pestle while you wait. Scoop that in and stir clockwise till it thickens and turns a bright shade of orange."

"Well, in my defense my burn paste did turn orange." Harry countered, gesturing grandiosely to his light sherbet orange paste. Harry did feel slightly put off that it had taken him roughly a half an hour to finish his own burn paste when it seemed it was only taking Bernie around ten minutes.

Bernie scoffed without even glancing at Harry's potion. "Yes, but if you had done the preparation properly, your paste wouldn't be nearly as sticky as mine. See how my paste is smooth to the touch?" Bernie raised his eyebrow suggestively.

"I swear to God Bernie, if this is another semen joke—"

"And on to the next bit of business!" Bernie interrupted jovially, clapping his hands once in an attempt to distract Harry, continuing his lecture on potion viscosity.

~oOo~

"That'll be 3 galleons." Harry said warmly.

"Thank you so much, Jake." Old lady Cecilia smiled seductively as she walked out of Bernie's shop.

Bernie popped his head around the corner of the back room and said, "Jake, I know my shop inside and out and I'm pretty sure that was only supposed to be 2 galleons."

"Yes, but she really pissed me off with that excessive flirting." Harry said, putting the money into the register.

Bernie laughed conspiratorially and chortled, "Thank God, I created a monster that will finally make me some money." He wiped his brow clean of sweat and began walking back into the back room before saying, "Come back here after you're done closing the shop. I need you to hold a vial while I pour the potion into it."

Harry began closing up shop and put away all money earned for the day into a secret compartment in the back. The end of the day routine was always strange to Harry because it consisted of Harry putting the money into the compartment in the back, and then Bernie taking the money almost immediately into his office while Harry did the rest of the cleaning. Bernie had made it clear Harry was not allowed inside his office. Ever. Therefore, this little routine helped keep things in order.

When Harry reached the back, he saw Bernie standing over a sparkling crystal cauldron with his emblazoned cutting board on the side. Bernie seemed to be extremely happy about something and was almost bouncing on the spot as he cleaned up some loose cuttings of some ingredients _. Come to think of it, Bernie has been antsy all day._

"Bernie, what potion is that?" Harry questioned. The liquid was a shiny silver and seemed to be moving without even being touched. But that was not all that caught Harry's attention. Within the liquid, Harry could see balls of stars and light dancing around, appearing, and disappearing right before his eyes. It was as if the night sky had come alive in the silvery haze of the moonlight and was contained in this one small, crystal potion vial.

Bernie stirred the potion a few more times and answered as he peered into its depths. "It's a potion designed for treating a rare magical disease. Unfortunately, it is a notoriously long treatment that does not often succeed. If the potion doesn't take hold, the disease will eventually turn the person into a squib."

"Is there any other treatment for this disease?" Harry asked, enchanted by the swirling depths of this potion and the disease it was for. Harry had never heard of such a thing.

"You can treat it with my personal potion which, at the very least, slows the process down for at least a few decades if my estimations are correct. If you can get someone with a stronger magical core, it is speculated to be possible to remove the disease. The problem on this is if you overestimate your magical core strength compared to the person, then both of your cores will be depleted in much the same way." Bernie picked up the cauldron as Harry held the bottle still. They were silent as they worked together to make sure every last drop fit into the vial.

When they were finished and Bernie was putting the crystal stopper on the vial, Harry asked, "Who's it for, if this is your own, personal potion?"

"This is for Minister Delacour, and I would like it very much if you never spoke of this to anyone. During the last war he contracted it." Bernie set the vial down and began cleaning up the remnants of the ingredients that laid around him. "I'm doing this as a personal favor to him. I don't normally use my rare ingredients for anything other than research. The turmoil he would face if the country found out he has a magical disease that is slowly eating away at his magic would be catastrophic, especially since he has worked so diligently in reforming much of the French Ministry to accommodate families after the war."

Bernie finished wiping down the station with a towel, which Harry found odd since he could have just magicked the mess away, and then turned toward Harry to give him a pointed stare. "The reason I'm telling you so much about this is that a rare dealer is coming into town tomorrow, and I'm going to be buying out his entire stock of rare supplies." Bernie continued. "Heard this bitch has actual phoenix tears. I could make some bomb ass fertility potions, so clearly I won't be here"

As Bernie turned away, Harry tried his best to suppress his amusement.

Bernie set the vial inside the same safe Harry used to stash the end-of-the-day money and nearly bounced over to his office. "Pierre's youngest daughter, Gabrielle, should be in the store to pick it up toward the end of the day. She's already paid for this week's potion but I'd like you to relay to her that I have another experimental potion in the works. Merely so her father doesn't have to be taking these potions weekly."

Harry nodded his understanding and watched as Bernie opened the door of his office and nearly skipped inside, closing the door abruptly. The only thing Harry could see within was a wall full of photos before he was once again banished from even acknowledging that Bernie's office even existed.

~oOo~

Harry was alone in the shop today. Honestly it wasn't incredibly hard work, manning the Apothecary. The most difficult part of the job was handling customers who thought they knew more than the workers did.

In all honesty, most of them probably did know more than Harry at this point in time. However, that was slowly changing.

Harry's daily study sessions with Bernie were steadily showing massive improvement and growth in his potion's knowledge and abilities. Much of the information he had to admit he remembered Professor Snape mentioning in class, but had either not known the significance or was too frustrated by his teaching style to give Snape's words any merit.

There were definitely times when he had wished he kept his OWL and NEWT notes from Hogwarts, but at the time they seemed unimportant. He really only needed the bare minimum to become an Auror and the rest was handled by Kingsley.

Harry tried not to think of his "past" life very much unless he had to. Yes, he felt shame and cowardice when it did cross his mind at the thought of leaving his friends and the Weasley's behind; not to mention that he had no way to check on little Teddy Lupin anymore. Though he had to admit he was relieved that Andromeda decided to take care of Teddy instead of Harry since he was constantly busy at the Ministry. It only seemed fitting.

Even though the thoughts flicked past his mind like the light of a firefly on a summer night, he still chose to ignore it as much as he could. He knew deep down that ignoring the feelings that plagued him for so long before he fled would only come back to haunt him, but at the moment, he was content in where he was, ignoring his feelings and worries.

He did not order any magical newspaper like _The Daily Prophet_ or _The Quibbler_ , therefore he knew nothing about the goings on of the British Ministry of Magic, and he only knew what was happening in the world based on the gossip he overheard from customers, which was very little.

He should have felt at least a bit more guilty than he did, but in truth, living in France and applying his Glamour spells every day had given Harry an innate sense of freedom that he never felt before. And he loved every second of it.

Not once had he been accosted by the press outside his one bedroom flat and he was able to live simply by waking up to drink his tea and eat breakfast, go to work, come home and eat supper, sleep, and do it all over again with no one's life on the line. This was the happiest he felt in a very long time.

But the past always finds ways to creep back into the present.

He knew he would have to speak with Gabrielle Delacour today. Harry didn't know why this fact made him as on edge as it did since he really only spoke with her at Bill and Fleur's wedding. Even then, he was disguised and they were all so busy with the preparations, she probably didn't even notice him.

Not that it mattered. _This anxiety is probably just stemming from the fact that this is the first person from my life that I've seen since I disappeared._ Harry thought.

And sure enough, when the hour came, Harry heard the soft chime of the shop's bell charm as a graceful and disturbingly beautiful blonde woman stepped through the doorway.

"Hello, sir." Gabrielle smiled warmly as she glided up to the counter.

"Hello Miss, and you are?" Harry asked. _Merlin,_ _I feel dumb pretending I don't know her._

"My name is Gabrielle Delacour, daughter of Pierre Delacour." She stated, throwing her hair back in a graceful sweep of her head as she spoke.

"Ah yes, Bernie told me about the potion. I'll go fetch that for you."

"Wonderful, thank you so much." Gabrielle said with her eyebrows raised. Harry noticed the surprised expression on her face as he began walking away. He quickly retrieved the potion and returned to the front.

"Here you are." Harry placed the potion in front of Gabrielle with a friendly grin.

"Thank you, Mister—" Gabrielle hesitated.

"My name is Jake Meier." He held out his hand in a friendly gesture. "I'm currently an apprentice under our residential cheapskate, Bernie." Harry added with a smirk.

Gabrielle smiled knowingly and suppressed a laugh and lacing her words with sarcasm. "Oh, that must be fun."

"Oh yes, quite fun actually." Harry replied, matching her sarcasm. "What about you?"

"I just recently graduated from Beaxbatons Academy of Magic. I'm currently in training to be a healer."

"Wow, why that profession? It must be excessively difficult." Harry inquired, watching her surprise slowly melt as she became more comfortable talking with a complete stranger.

"Well my sister, Fleur, was one of the champions chosen to compete in the Triwizard Tournament when it was held at Hogwarts a few years back. Long story short, I was held hostage in her second task. She was taken out of the round and couldn't reach me but the person that did save me was Harry Potter." She was beginning to stare to some far-off place and her expression turned somber. "Knowing that someone has such a high regard for saving people, it made me realize my passion for trying to save people, myself."

Now it was Harry's turn to feel surprised. "That's amazing to have someone have that much effect on you."

"Yeah, I've been horribly sad since his untimely death. Or disappearance. The Ministries can't decide which it is. I can honestly say that I wish I could thank him properly for the inspiration he had on me." She looked up and gave a sad smile.

Harry's expression morphed into one of understanding and awkwardness. "Well, don't worry. I think he knew the effect he had on people, and loved that he inspired someone as brilliant as you are to become a healer."

Gabrielle's smile, though sad, changed the features of her face to one of brilliance. "Thank you, Mr. Meier. That is wonderful to hear."

"Call me Jake. From my understanding, we will be seeing each other more now."

"True," She laughed at the thought. "In that case, thank you, Jake. Have a wonderful evening. And thank you for the potion. Tell Bernie hello from me!"

Harry's next words were nearly frantic as he remembered Bernie's request. "That reminds me! Bernie wanted me to let you know that he's working on another potion that is stronger so it won't need to be administered so often. He didn't give me a timeline of when it will be done, but at least you know."

Nodding her head appreciatively, Gabrielle responded, "Thank you, Jake. I will let me father know. Give Bernie our thanks."

With that, Gabrielle stepped out of the apothecary and carried on with her day. Harry waved as she took one last fleeting look into the shop and left the way she came, potion in hand.

~oOo~

"How was yesterday? Hope it wasn't too much of a disaster to leave you here by yourself." Bernie smirked.

"It was alright," Harry began as he shuffled jars of ingredients around on a shelf to clean them. "Gabrielle stopped by and picked up that potion. The potion log is documented in the back room."

"Oh, so you and Ms. Delacour are on a first name basis now? I leave you alone for one day, and you become near intimate friends with one of my most frequent customers." Bernie teased. "Am I going to have to watch out for these antics, Jake?"

Harry laughed good naturedly. "Merlin, Bernie, can you ever just ease off? I feel like I get wrecked by you on a daily basis."

"Get over yourself, it's called building character. Over the next few decades you will learn how to be able to give someone more shit with Auror-like precision." Bernie glanced at the potion log, and then to Harry. "We'll talk about that topic later. My question to you now is that we have covered most beginner potions and proper ingredient preparation," Bernie continued. "We need to go over your plans for the future.

You have made considerable improvements in your brewing over the past month and I may actually see some potential in you. So here is my proposal: if you can handle a few study sessions of intensive potions brewing, I have it within my power to grant you the title of Potions Master. It will take years of study and loads of hard work and dedication. Would you be interested in becoming my apprentice?"

Harry stopped what he was doing entirely and turned to face Bernie.

"You would teach me to become a Master of Potions?" Harry said, the corners of his mouth beginning to rise. How ironic.

"Well, seeing as all the other numbnuts of this world don't have the necessary qualifications to even begin to teach you or give you your own qualifications to even be a potions master, it looks like I'm your guy." Bernie looked smug, and started redoing Harry's work with the ingredient jars on the shelf while Harry nearly gawked.

"So, there are a few options." Bernie continued, inspecting Harry's work on the shelf. "You can give up all social life, and you will eat, breath, and taste potions every day of your life for the next year or so, or I can take you to a guild and they can teach you their inferior ways." He said with a note of finality with a thud from the jar in his hand.

He couldn't believe that Bernie was already offering to teach him fully and couldn't help but feel excited. "As gross as it is for me to say this Bernie I want to eat, breathe, and taste every inch of your teaching."

"Ha, Ew." Bernie laughed.

~oOo~

"Fucking prick." Harry growled in frustration. "That bastard sold us a bad batch of powdered unicorn horns. These have to be rhino horns or something." Harry gritted through his teeth, allowing his frustration to show.

"Don't worry, those aren't too hard to find. And this Wiggenweld potion is still salvageable because you managed to catch the issue before a disaster could ensue." Bernie praised. "Not many people have the eye to catch those kinds of things."

Harry scoffed at Bernie, clearly upset at the potion before him. "Doesn't matter anymore. Six hours of my life just went to waste for some asshole to ruin a potion for someone in need."

"Alas, don't worry about that, Jake. I'll have all the European apothecaries block him from selling ingredients to them. He will be out of business in a month, tops." Bernie straightened up over Harry's cauldron and rubbed his hands together, as though he were about to start eating a particularly wonderful looking pasty.

"I am most impressed that you were able to still salvage the situation and counteract the effects of the undesired ingredient by adding others, and still managed to get a decent Wiggenweld out of it. Bravo. One tip I can give that you did on this potion is to use your wand as the actual stirring rod right before you finish." He said, mimicking the motions he was describing with his arms and hands. "It's something that no one else does but me. It gives the potion a more direct line of magic that increases its potency for a stronger version."

Harry looked at Bernie in shock. Over the past few months, Bernie has started to slowly give him more and more information that, more or less, were the secrets to why his shop is the best in the world. His Draught of Peace is known in the wizarding world to make even the most troubled person feel like there wasn't a single problem in the world.

"Thanks, Bernie."

"Don't mention it. Once I'm gone, I don't want my recipes to go to waste. Plus, socially you're miles ahead of my last student."

"You had other students?" Harry said in surprise.

"Oh, dear God, yes. Over the years, I have accepted at least a few dozen people. Only two have passed the masters level potion brewing, and only one of them could measure up to my quality."

Harry had many questions simultaneously pop into his head, but was promptly cut off. "We can save that for a later conversation. Today you need to go buy supplies for us. Do not haggle with this person. I've been dealing with her for the last thirty years. I need you to go buy standard supplies, and see if she has any full unicorn horns for sale. Not the pre powdered ones. I'm going to show you a few more tricks."

"Where am I supposed to be meet with this person?"

"You'll go to her family estate. You can use my floo network." Bernie began leading Harry off into the very back of the back room where the fireplace sat. "The place is called Apollo Gardens. Speak very fucking clearly. If I have to find you after you mumble, I'm going to test a few of my new potions out on you."

"Alright, you old fart." Harry said, slightly amused. "I'm not entirely incompetent." Harry had to laugh fondly at the memory of him accidentally turning up in Knockturn Alley instead of Diagon Alley, but that was a whole lifetime ago. He had obviously been able to grasp the floo network better than he had before by this point in his life.

Bernie scoffed and said, "I don't like the sound of that laugh. Actually, I've changed my mind. Just apparate there and save us the trouble."

"Oh Merlin's Beard, Bernie…"

"Just apparate, boy. I'll let her know and she'll pick you up at the gates."

Bernie gave him a list of the instructions written down so he was able to apparate to the exact location, and in the next few moments, Harry found himself turning on the spot and arriving just outside a wrought iron fence with Apollo Gardens written in iron above _._

 _Holy fuck, this greenhouse has to be the size of a Quidditch pitch._ Harry thought as he walked down an enormous dirt walkway, waiting for someone to allow him full access to the Gardens. All around Harry, there were extremely rare plants, all in their own magically maintained habitats. _I swear Neville would jizz his pants if he could see this._

Harry didn't wait for long before someone opened the gates and admitted him inside. "You must be Jake!" Said Apolline Delacour. Even after not seeing her since Fleur and Bill's wedding, she still took his breath away with her beauty. "Bernie told me you were stopping by today."

 _Merlin, she looks like a goddess._ "Good morning, Mrs. Delacour." Harry said with a slight bow of his head, reminding himself not to stare.

"Please dear, call me Apolline," the woman said, matching Harry's small bow of his head. She had a few loose strands of blonde hair fall in front of her face. "What will you be looking for today?"

The pair began walking through the gardens together. "Bernie is running out of all standard ingredients and a few rarer ones. He sent me to come buy them from you."

Apolline looked over at her workers, and ordered them to come over to assist her in the sale of the ingredients written on Harry's list. The boy ran away as fast as possible to start delegating people to go cut and obtain everything Bernie had requested.

"So, what are these rarer ingredients that he needs?" Apolline questioned, drawing nearer to Harry.

Harry withdrew his list and handed it over to her. "As of right now, we are in need of unpowdered unicorn horns."

"Bernie does realize that to get those are extremely hard, and illegal in 80% of all other countries?"

"Yes Ma'am, but I believe he does not care about those he deems "Too stupid to understand why it's needed."' Harry said in a matter of fact tone, with an all too knowing look from Apolline.

"Ah yes, that does sound like something he would say." She quickly turned to one of the nearby workers. "Gerald, go get us five unpowdered unicorn horns, and meet us in the house with all the ingredients." Gerald bowed quickly and ran to complete his task.

The walk through the garden was fantastic, and filled with colorful bugs, insects, and rare magical creatures. It was as though you were walking straight through an enchanted forest. After exiting, Apollo Gardens led into a huge courtyard with a mansion overshadowing the Garden.

"This is an amazing place you own, Apolline." Still looking around with amazement, Harry finally turned to face the woman beside him. "I can honestly say that I've seen very few places that measure up to its beauty."

"Well, the manor was built in the early 1100s, and was renovated after the second muggle world war. I'm glad to say that it's been an amazing place to raise my children. The gardens were something I wanted to build, and my husband really gave into my wishes by sparing no expense building it."

"I can tell that you poured your heart and soul into it." Harry said, gently running his hand along a vine on the entrance of the mansion.

"Thank you. It is wonderful for someone to recognize the amount of time I poured into it. Welcome to my home." Apolline opened the door and gestured for Harry to walk through into the foyer. "Would you like some tea? We have a short wait before the supplies will be ready."

"That sounds wonderful." Harry replied earnestly. Apolline directed Harry over to the nearest room on the right. It appeared to be a type of drawing room with bookshelves lining the wall, and a great window opening to the garden. "So, what made you want to start Apollo Gardens?" Harry inquired.

Apolline laughed fondly and replied, "Growing up during the aftermath of Muggle World War II, I watched as medical and potion supplies started to run out. I joined a union made for preserving rare plants and animals that could be used for saving people's lives, and furthering the research on diseases." Her small flashback was quickly interrupted and a bright smile slid across her face as she stood from her seat. "Hello, Gabrielle!"

"Hey, mum! Hi, Jake." Gabrielle hugged her mom. Harry stood back up even though his bum barely hit the chair.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Bernie must be working you to death." Gabrielle giggled.

"Yeah, he offered to assist me in obtaining my potions mastery. He's been showing me all the intricate little secrets to help brew more potently than anyone else."

Gabrielle smiled, nodded, and then turned to her mother. "Hey mum, when will Bill and Fleur be here?"

Apolline glanced at the clock on the wall. "They should be here any minute."

Harry's heart froze. _Shit, Fuck, Cunt, Dick, Merlins sweaty ballsack, Bill can see right through my appearance charade._ "Mrs. Delacour by chance do you have those ingredients ready to go. Bernie and I need to make that Draught of Peace really fast." Harry began to sweat, checking the entrance, hoping he didn't appear too antsy, but knowing he was failing spectacularly.

"Apolline, here are the ingredients you requested." Gerald, the servant, spoke. _Oh, thank Merlin._

"Here you are, Jake. I'll send the bill to Bernie." Harry took the supplies immediately and caught a strange look on Gabrielle's face; disappointment? _No matter._ He thought, panic setting in. _If I don't get out of here, everything is fucking ruined._

"Sorry to intrude, but may I use the floo system?"

"Yes, you may." Apolline said warmly. "Also, if you would be so kind, I would like to cordially invite you to a Ministry Ball my husband is holding. The spot was originally intended for Bernie, but seeing as you came today instead of him, the seat is yours if you want it."

"Yeah, I can do that. Next week. Thank you." Harry stammered, muttering a quick goodbye to Gabrielle and Apolline as he grabbed a pinch of floo powder and said, _"Bernie's Apothecary,"_ and stepping into the emerald green flames.

Harry's heart pounded with relief as he heard Bernie's voice. "Jake, thank Merlin you're here. I need to ask you a few questions."


	3. The First Date

Thank you everyone! Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own characters or any copyright for Harry Potter. That all belongs to J.K Rowling.

 **Edited 22 July 2019**

~oOo~

"Jake, by chance have you ever experienced the death of a loved one?" Bernie said thoughtfully, scratching his chin in the process.

Harry hesitated, unsure of where this conversation could lead. "Why, exactly?"

"Well, I need you to be able to handle Thestral testicles and you can only see them if you've seen death."

Harry snorted somewhat relieved but still a bit aprehensive. "What the hell? How do you possibly cut off a Thestral's testicles?" Harry said in disbelief with slight disgust and amusement.

"I know a guy who picks up dead magical animals and sells off their organs for potions." Bernie stated, as if this was common knowledge.

"Bernie, I want you to know how creepy that sounds." Harry said, giving Bernie a pointed look.

"So, how was going to Apollo Gardens?" Bernie inquired, completely ignoring Harry's statement. "Most people when they see it can't shut up for the next year about it."

Harry continued his task while speaking, shaking his head in exasperation as he spoke. "It was quite amazing, the view was superb," Harry said, pausing for a moment to fully remember everything that was there. "and there was nothing that could ever compare to the beauty of that place."

Bernie shook his head, almost enthusiastically. "Were you able to speak to Apolline? She is quite a brilliant person in more than one regard." If Harry hadn't looked up from dusting the shelves, he could have sworn Bernie gave a wink in his direction.

"Yes, it seemed like she had a very innate sense of pride in her gardens." Harry grinned, more to Bernie than anything knowing exactly what he was trying to insinuate. "It really is nice to see someone with such a passion of preserving wild plants and animals."

Bernie hiked up his pants and proceeded to begin a speech as though he were the most important man in the world. "Once upon a time, I was the one smuggling in seeds from all over the country to assist in the rare plants that are there now. It is the reason why I'm able to get those supplies from her. Her daughter Gabrielle is learning how to practice medicine, and after her plan is to take over Apollo Gardens."

"Gabrielle did mention that. Apolline actually asked me into accepting to stop by next Wednesday for some ball, so I could speak to her more about it then."

Bernie stopped in his tracks and turned to Harry with wide eyes. "Merlin's Beard, Jake did you say yes?"

This comment gave him pause. "Why? What is wrong with doing that? It seemed like a friendly offer." Harry rushed out, hoping this statement would defend him.

Bernie let loose a long sigh. "You can't get out of this now; next Wednesday, the Minister is hosting one of his biggest fundraisers for our county. Each seat costs around two hundred galleons. They offered you a free seat, and you have no semblance of etiquette to attend something of that caliber." Bernie rubbed at his temples and continued. "It's pure stupidity that is riding you into this. Now I have to take my jolly time to teach you how to behave other than your usual barbaric self."

Harry now felt unsure of himself. Having all of those people there, what if someone recognized him? There were many events like this that he attended as Harry Potter, but never as Jake Meier. He wasn't sure if his mannerisms would give him away or if he changed enough in this short time with Bernie to fool everyone.

"Come on Bernie, it can't be that bad." That statement didn't make Harry feel any better. He nervously ran his hand through his hair. "Also, if I really pushed the envelope, I could say that I'm too busy here to come to their gathering." _Yeah. That's the excuse I'll use. That will work perfectly._

"No Jake, I will not have you throw me under the bus. You are going to that gathering. You will now be representing me since I am obviously a lot busier than you are." Bernie abruptly turned around in the flashiest old man style he could muster and began messing with the ledger behind the counter.

Harry put down his cloth and slowly turned toward Bernie. "Why do I feel like this entire thing was a trap?"

Bernie looked up from the ledger with his quill between his fingers. "Come on, do you really think that I would send you to her place to pick up the ingredients that I need, knowing that she may or may not force me to go to this dinner? That I may possibly know that if I sent you, then that seat might be filled and I could ignore the high society fucks who think they have the right to talk to me? No, Jake I would never do something like that."

Harry stared in disbelief. "You know what Bernie? You're an ass."

Bernie smirked and continued writing. "Well, if that's how you think, you can suck my….."

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding*

"Gabrielle!" Bernie nearly shouted without missing a beat.

"Hello, Uncle Bernie." she said with a smile, stepping through the threshold and giving Bernie a small hug.

She looked between the two men and said, "I just need to speak to Jake quick." Bernie made a slight bow and inched to the back room, obviously listening.

"Sorry Jake, I didn't know that my mother was going to invite you to that event or I would've warned you to leave sooner. She honestly told me that she was going to invite Bernie, but you showed up instead. It seems like she took an interest in you." Gabrielle sighed exasperatedly and looked up at Harry.

 _Fucking Bernie knew this was going to happen. That little shit is going to feel my unholy wrath._

"Oh well, I'm glad she finds me so interesting, but I've never seen Bernie so emotionally upset about not getting an invite. You might want to talk to your mum to get him a seat at a table with some other potions masters such as himself." Harry scratched his chin, feigning concern for the old man and continued. "I know he would adore talking over some ideas with them." _Gotcha, old man._

Harry chanced a glance to the back room and saw Bernie with his eyes lowered to slits and his arms crossed.

Catching on to what Harry was doing, Gabrielle's eyes widened knowingly as she nodded her head. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I think my mother was struggling over whether or not he would enjoy coming."

"Oh, no doubt about it, he will absolutely love to come." Harry said with a smile that was entirely directed toward Bernie's misfortune.

Gabrielle smiled back knowingly at the prank they were undoubtedly pulling on Bernie. She looked down to her feet and when Harry turned back toward her, he noticed she was blushing slightly. "The other thing I wanted to ask you Jake is that.." she paused, and then said all at once without breath, "my mother is asking me to bring a date, and this is just so she will get off my back, but would you be able to escort me so that I don't have to go with someone I don't know again?"

Harry blanched at her in surprise, not expecting this statement in the slightest. After a moment, Harry said, "That sounds wonderful, Gabrielle." He was truly astonished and felt the beginning embers of excitement start in the back of his mind. "Thank you for thinking of me, even though we haven't spoke much."

Gabrielle breathed a small sign of relief. "Alright, well I'll see you October 8th, please be there at 5 pm, so I can go over a few things with you. Since this will be a gathering of high-profile individuals, I just need to show you how to do a few things. It will take at most ten minutes." She finished with a carefree smile and a nonchalant wave of her hand.

"Alright, I'll be there at 5 pm October 8th."

"You have an amazing rest of the week, Jake."

Gabrielle pecked his cheek and walked out of Bernie's Apothecary with an unusual amount of sway in her hips.

When Harry noticed this, he struggled to keep his mind off of it. She wasn't overly sensual, but it was enough to wonder what else those hips could do. After a second, all that he could hear was Bernie swearing up a storm in the back room before he flung the door open.

"You are a massive little bitch in my book." Harry looked up to a finger pointing straight at his nose.

Honestly, Harry was surprised it wasn't a wand. In return, Harry turned to Bernie with a look of indifference and didn't say a thing.

Bernie nearly growled in frustration, only amusing Harry more. "Instead of one of us suffering, you decided to take both of us down at once. That was a dick move."

"Come on Bernie you think I did that on purpose?" Harry gawked around the room, every word dripping with sarcasm. "I swear to Merlin, I thought you were genuinely upset that you were not invited to that gathering _." Maybe I shouldn't be so worried about this dinner. This amount of sarcasm will throw anyone off immediately._

"I will get you back Jake if it's one of the last things I do on this miserable fucking planet." At that, Bernie slapped the countertop and pointed to the door. "Now go to Roger's animal shop. Get me the testicles. I want to show you how easy it is to pop one. You know, for future reference in case you decide to try and fuck me again."

~oOo~

"Jake, get your scrawny ass down here."

"Come on old man, you can't stay mad at me for this long. It's one simple gathering. It's not the biggest deal in the world." Harry said, straightening his dress robes.

"No, I think you are completely underestimating at how big of a deal this is. Everyone important in the wizarding world will be here. From the Minsters of each respective division in the world, to the best magical field masters, and not to mention the best sports players in the world. I'm not joking when I say if you make a fool of yourself you will never be forgotten."

Harry sighed in exasperation, "Then why don't you want to go if it's so special?"

Bernie sighed. "Once you have been alive for as long as I have, you start to realize at how many friends you've lost to wars, to diseases, and these events only begin to show how much you it takes all that and rubs it in your miserable face." Bernie was suddenly almost serious and it took Harry off guard. "You lose so much over life, it is sad to see people who are on the exact same footing as you are, only to know they will eventually decline. Take Minister Delacour for example. He lost both of his older brothers in the war against Grindelwald and now he's battling a disease that doesn't even have a name. I lost my best friend in battle and my other best friend in the aftermath to his own emotions."

Bernie was looking at his reflection and straightening his tie as he explained away his thoughts. "These gatherings and parties are really just a fancy showing of how much money you've got. And while they're nice to go to with someone you care about, they're shit when your wife is gone."

Harry stopped fussing with his robe, instantly feeling bad and knowing where Bernie was coming from. "I'm sorry Bernie, I didn't know."

Bernie turned around to face him. "Remember next time Jake. You may think I don't notice everything, but I know every little thing that goes on in this world." He fixed Harry with a piercing gaze, the one very similar to the gaze that Dumbledore often used on him.

 _He can't possibly know my secret, can he?_

"But you need to get to Madam Delacour's house. Gabrielle needs to go over a few things with you." Bernie looked down to his watch. "I'll see you at roughly 8. If I can help it I might be fashionably late"

Harry walked over to the floo system, and spoke into it, "Delacour Mansion".

He still couldn't believe at how huge the mansion was stepping out of the floo system. As Harry was perusing his surroundings and magicking off the soot from his robes, he heard movement off to the side of the room. "Hello, Jake. You are quite punctual." Apolline said, her smile pulling the corner of her eyes.

"Yes Ma'am, I guess you could say Bernie has grilled that into me since I began studying under him." Harry chuckled good naturedly. He hoped he wasn't looking like a complete fool in front of her. He smoothed down his long, wavy brown hair that was sticking up oddly from the fireplace and adjusted himself a bit.

"Yes, I bet he has. Also, I appreciate a good prank when I hear one." Apolline giggled again.

Harry stopped his fidgeting, confused, but knowing exactly where the conversation was headed. "Ma'am, I'm not sure I understand what you are saying?"

"Do you really expect me to believe that Bernie was disappointed that he couldn't attend this event?" Apolline laughed incredulously and continued, "I knew full well that he would ignore me to try and get out of this gathering. You just made my job easier for inviting him."

 _He must do this a lot to Apolline for her to catch on so quickly._ "I genuinely thought he was upset. Or maybe I get his disappointment and sarcasm mixed up." Harry looked at her innocently.

"Quite funny, Jake." Apolline patted his arm approvingly and continued. "Well, Gabrielle is in the next room. Please, help yourself to any drink or food you might want."

"Thank you, Apolline" Harry said as he walked into the kitchen.

Upon entering, he saw Gabrielle in a ravishing blue dress that hugged every curve. She was stunning. Their air around her seemed to emanate a glow in the room, while her hair looked soft to the touch and almost seemed to float, just like her mother's. She had on just a hint of makeup to tie in with her dress and her hair was pulled half up to keep out of her face. _Her face._ While Harry knew she was beautiful, Harry noticed it was suddenly hard for him to breath. _I've never had a reaction like that to seeing anyone before._ Harry thought. He remembered seeing her before this point, but she always seemed so young in his mind. This dress however, showed how much of a young woman she had turned into.

She stood up from her seat to greet Harry, walking over briskly to peck him on the cheek. "Hello Jake! I thought I heard you talking to my mum." She said happily, holding onto his shoulders.

Harry was a little taken aback at the close proximity of her body so close to him, that he didn't answer right away. "Oh yeah. We were just talking about Bernie. Uhh— What's new with you?" Harry asked politely as she came to a halt in front of him. Her heels gave her an extra three inches of height.

"A little bit of this and that. I've been more amused at what you did to Bernie." She said laughing. "I instantly knew what you were doing, and I think that Fleur really wants to meet you after that joke you played. Not many people would have the gall to prank Bernie. We've grown up with him, so we all know how he can be when he doesn't want to do something."

Harry laughed nervously and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, he was sort of bragging that he trapped me, and then tried to guilt me into feeling bad that I accepted the invite from Apolline. So, I decided to drag him down with me." Harry finished, extending his arms as though he just couldn't help himself.

Gabrielle began to giggle, and then stopped abruptly. "Drag him down with you? Do you not want to be here?"

Realizing the implications of what he said, Harry backtracked. "Oh no I didn't mean it like that. And who wouldn't want to be here when they have such a beautiful date." He said, lightly grabbing Gabrielle's hand and spinning her round.

Her joyous laughter filled the room as her worries left her. Harry's breath froze in his chest as her scent filled his senses. "Oh, you are becoming quite a sweet talker, aren't you?" She said with a look of playful disbelief and poked him in the chest with her finger. "Right when I think I figure you out, you throw me for another loop."

"Trust me, I love being myself." Harry said truthfully. "It's just been very hard to express myself over the years. It seems as though it keeps getting easier, though. Maybe some time I will explain it to you."

"That sounds great to me." Gabrielle fixed her shoe and pulled a strand of hair behind her ear. Suddenly turning serious, she said, "Could you follow me into the courtyard? I want to show you a few things."

Harry agreed and followed Gabrielle, passing through the mansion. He could honestly say that this may be one of the best architectural wonders he'd ever seen: aside from Hogwarts that is. Each and every room was filled with intricate designs that must've taken so much thought and work that he couldn't comprehend how it was even done.

"Here we are." Gabrielle spoke, overlooking Apollo Gardens. She turned toward Harry with a look that said 'time for business.'

Harry mimicked her movement. "What do I need to know?"

"Just your seating arrangement and how you are supposed to escort me."

She began a small demonstration. "You will place your non-dominant arm out in an L shape, and allow me to wrap my arm around. In this setting you need to pull out my chair for me. Trust me, I'm not normally this pompous, but it is required in this type of setting."

"Left arm, L shape, Chair. Alright, anything else?"

"Just follow my movements and guard me from all the potential situations that we both know that I don't want to be in." Gabrielle winked, leaning in a bit closer. Unable to help himself, Harry leaned in a bit at her flirtatiousness. He focused on her eyes, smiling up at him. They were like the depths of a vast ocean, waiting for him to wade through to the core. The sapphire blue patterns carried flecks of sky blue and created a swirling image of a star speckled midnight sky. The effect was intoxicating and was drawing him in. They were close enough to kiss— but he didn't dare. They really didn't know each other honestly.

Not seeming to mind in the slightest, Gabrielle and Harry talked for what seemed like thirty minutes, but in all reality almost two hours had passed. When the time came, Apolline beckoned them to come back into the mansion and Harry and Gabrielle apparated together to the location.

When they arrived, they immediately began walking around as Gabrielle introduced Harry to a number of different people. Most of them Harry already knew, but she couldn't know that. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry noticed Fleur and Bill start to walk over to Harry and Gabrielle. _Shit Bill is here, how could I forget about him?_

"Hello Gabrielle, and who is this?" Fleur said brightly after kissing her sister on each cheek.

"This is Jake; he's the one working for Bernie." Gabrielle stated, gesturing toward Harry and raising her brows to let her sister know silently who it was before them.

Fleur had a moment of realization and burst out laughing "I can't believe what you did to Uncle Bernie. I haven't laughed so hard since the day Bill tried to cut his hair!"

Harry smirked. "Yeah, he tried to send me as a decoy to take his seat, but I wanted to get him to come since I think he will enjoy this event so very much." Harry ended sarcastically, only to receive more giggles from the girls. Bill however, had been silent the entire time except for a small smirk toward his wife.

Bill obviously noticed something that the girls hadn't. "By chance what kind of spells do you have over your body?" Bill asked.

 _Shit. He's a curse breaker. Of course he would recognize spell residue. Shit Shit SHIT._ "Uhh, Bernie showed me a few charms to change the way my hair and eyes look. It honestly looks identical, but it's so that I never have to fix or cut the hair ever again. He says it gets in the way of our potions if it gets too long." Harry said, hoping he sounded convincing.

Bill looked intrigued. Harry knew he was probably self-conscious because of his scars that he obtained in the war. He probably had many scars from curse breaking. But the fact that he had a wife that was part Veela, Bill was constantly compared with her beauty. If only the scarring hadn't happened across his face.

"Oh, really? I thought it was something else, but could you teach me the spell?" Bill said with traces of hope slowly creeping into his eyes.

"Here's the funny part, until I become a potions master he won't teach me the counter spell or the spell itself. He told me it was incentive to finish my masters quickly." Harry laughed nervously, relieved they believed his lie. At least for now. Bill still looked suspicious.

Before Bill could respond, Harry briefly saw Bernie talking with a few older gentleman, shaking hands unenthusiastically, only to notice that Bill had looked past Harry and Gabrielle's shoulders to a couple approaching the group. "Hello, Ron and Hermione. How's the ministry life going?" Bill asked as Ron and Hermione walked up to the group of four. Harry's heart stopped.

"It's going great, I got a promotion." Hermione spoke clearly. She was definitely her usual self. Her hair was tamed much in the same way as it was at the Yule ball, and she wore a dazzling green, silk dress.

Harry noticed Ron admiringly squeeze Hermione's hand, as their fingers were intertwined while her arm was through his. "Yeah, George apologizes about not being able to make it. He's on a date with his wife." Ron said.

"That is completely fine." Fleur smiled.

"So, what's new with you Ron?" Gabrielle asked.

Ron turned to Gabrielle and gave a fleeting look at Harry. Harry's heart dropped a fraction before Ron turned back to Gabrielle and answered her question. "Just working hard at the ministry and George's shop. And still searching with the Aurors..." The last part sounded almost like an afterthought.

"Yeah. How are you holding up Ron?" Bill asked sympathetically. Hermione pulled a tissue out of her bag.

Ron shook his head and turned to look at Hermione as he spoke. "Blimey, I don't even remember these last few months. We've barely gotten any sleep. I guess I just feel like we could have done something more."

Hermione brought her eyebrows together and shook her head gently. "There wasn't anything we really could have done. We all agree that something felt off, but he wasn't one to just give up."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Like always." Ron finished affectionately and kissed her on the cheek.

Bill shifted the weight on his feet and asked, "How is Ginny holding up? From what I understand, they weren't together anymore?"

Hermione spoke up instead of Ron. "No, they broke up. And I don't really know what Ginny thinks of the whole thing."

"Yeah, her and Dean have just moved in together and we don't really speak much on the topic. She always changes the subject." Ron said.

Harry felt a familiar pang of sadness and a throbbing pain in his chest at the mention of Ginny. During the whole conversation, Harry tried not to make eye contact with any of the people in the group to avoid having to possibly express his opinions, or worse, tell them anything about himself.

Harry chanced a glance at everyone in the group, seeing as he avoided eye contact before this point. Everyone looks so solemn. _I hate that I did this to them._

"Does anyone know what truly happened to him?" Gabrielle questioned and directing her next question to Ron. "What all have you found out about the whole situation?"

All the eyes in the group turned to Bill as he answered, "It looked like a fire spell hit him, but no one in our department can figure out what kind of spell would turn him into dust." Bill spoke heavily. "The scorch marks definitely came from Henry Knott's wand, but they weren't cast by him."

"Yeah, and we have no idea where Harry hid his more precious items." Ron said sadly, looking incredibly guilty as the conversation drug on.

Despite his better judgement, Harry was curious as to what Ron meant. There was also part of him that wanted to talk to his best friend again without the looming shadow of Ron's frustration and anger from their fight before he disappeared. If now was the only time he could have to have a normal moment with his best friend, he was going to take it. "What do you mean more precious items?" Harry inquired innocently.

Ron looked slightly taken aback at this question from a complete stranger, but indulged his question nonetheless. "Harry was the holder of Albus Dumbledore's wand, otherwise known as the Elder Wand, and his father's invisibility cloak." Several heads in the group nodded, although this information seemed to be news to Gabrielle.

"We went through his flat and were unable to find his items. We were hoping that we could put his things in storage at Hogwarts in case another headmaster ever wanted to use them." Hermione stated in her usual brisk manner.

Harry was touched at their thoughtfulness to store his possessions at Hogwarts, his first real home. "That's a wonderful idea. I'm sorry you couldn't find them." Harry said, looking away once more and glad he could hear their voices again. He unconsciously sagged in his sadness, which was felt by Gabrielle beside him. She looked at him questioningly for a moment when the people around the started moving.

A light, tinkling bell rang in the distance of the room, quieting the people attending the event. "Dinner is about to start. We should get to our seats." Gabrielle said to the group at hand.

Harry kept up the entire night with Gabrielle, talking with the right people, and steering her away from unwanted attention like promised. The night was slowly coming to a close. Harry's guilt kept creeping into his thoughts as the night went on.

He and Gabrielle sat with the Weasley's, so there wasn't much upkeep when it came to other people. On the other hand, Harry definitely had to be more cautious about what he said and did, afraid he would give out too much information or knowledge on a particular subject.

The best part of the night as far as his disguise was that no one seemed to be incredibly interested in him. They already knew each other, therefore, many of their conversations consisted of already spoken of events, inside jokes, and future plans that didn't involve Harry.

Despite being overly cautious, Harry did end up having a rather splendid time with Gabrielle. They would often have their own conversations together while the other people talked and conversed. Harry quickly became addicted to her sing-song laughter and wanted to hear it more and more as the night went on.

Eventually, the dinner and speeches came to an end and they all rose to say goodbye and leave to their respective homes.

"Jake, I want to thank you for one of the most brilliant nights and date that I've had in a very long time." Her smile was genuine and Harry couldn't help but smile and momentarily forget about his guilt toward Ron and Hermione.

"Gabrielle, there is no reason at all to thank me. You also showed me one of the best dates I have ever been on." Harry looked to his left and flashed a warm smile before looking her in the eyes again. "I should be the one thanking you."

Returning his smile, Gabrielle asked calmly and hopefully, "Would you perhaps like to go on another date with me? This one is not to get my mother off my back, but an honest to God date?"

"Is it not unusual for a girl to ask a guy out on a date?" Harry smirked.

Gabrielle laughed and said, "Well, would you have asked me tonight?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair sheepishly and replied, "Honestly, probably not."

"Well, sometimes a girl just knows what she wants."

"In that case Gabrielle, I would love to go on another date with you."

Gabrielle moved over, and gave a gentle peck on Harry's cheek. "I'll see you this Friday 5 pm again, and be as punctual as you were the last time." Gabrielle grinned wholeheartedly as they began to walk together to the apparation point.

"I'll be here at 5 pm again. Good bye, Gabrielle. And good night." Harry bent forward and kissed the top of her hand and began walking.

Harry and Gabrielle walked together and disapparated to the manor, where Harry took a pinch of floo powder and promptly arrived back at the apothecary. Harry's mind was whizzing about faster than his body whizzing and whirling about in the floo network. He really was excited to go on another date with Gabrielle, but would she recognize him if her attention was solely on him for an entire night? Did his friends recognize him? Was he worrying too much? Did he give himself away? He spun directly into the backroom of Bernie's shop and saw Bernie's face reflected in the mirror.

"I think we need to talk, Harry." Bernie said with an exasperated look.


	4. Gabrielle's Date

Disclaimer: I do not own characters or any copyright for Harry Potter. That all belongs to J.K Rowling.

 **Edited 22 July 2019**

~oOo~

"I think we need to talk, Harry." Bernie said with an angry look.

 _Shit._

"I knew the second you walked into this shop you were trying to hide something, but that "something" I was thinking was more along the lines of escaping poverty or a bad family name. Not you being Harry fucking Potter."

Harry nervously clenched the sides of his dress robes _. Maybe I should act dumb?_ "I don't know what you're talking about, Bernie."

"Don't give me that shit." Bernie said with such a disapproving and disappointed voice that Harry could only help but look straight to his feet. For emphasis, Bernie shot a quick _Finite_ at Harry, effectively dropping every spell that was covering his real identity. Bernie shook his head, muttering under his breath before continuing. "Bill Weasley came up and asked me what spell I used on you to change your appearance. He wanted to know if it was possible to cover up his scars. Lucky enough for you, I played along, while going over every single conversation we've ever had."

Bernie gave an exaggerated sigh towards Harry and closed his eyes in exasperation.

After a moment, Bernie's eyes opened. Harry raised his head ever so slightly to meet his gaze. "I will give you one thing, you are determined." Bernie stated, still looking toward the ground and lowering his arm. "You think that disappearing will help all the people around you. But that's not how the world works. You need to face your fear of this head on." For emphasis, Bernie pounded his fist into his other hand.

Harry desperately wanted to will Bernie an understanding of his situation. "Bernie you can't possibly understand. I was hurting everyone around me by being a constant reminder of the war. I wasn't able to form any proper relationship with anyone, and my friends were constantly in my shadow of fame, not to mention they practically disowned me! There's no way any of them could have had a chance at a normal life or the recognition they deserve with me around. There was no semblance of normalcy anymore. We had all been changed by this war and I couldn't stand hurting them and being hurt by them."

"OH, you think I don't understand at all?" Harry shut his mouth and truly realized that Bernie was not messing around.

Bernie continued straight away. "I'll let you in on how I figured out who you are. I worked with Albus Dumbledore on his entire conquest into vanquishing Grindelwald. I fought every inch of the way. In more than one way, Albus was my best friend. I watched as he fought Gellert and then suddenly Albus was raised onto a pedestal that no other could reach. While Albus did have an unnatural thirst for power in his younger years, I could see that it tore him apart more than anyone else noticed to put that man in prison. The ones who helped him out the most ended up on the backburner while he got all the glory, which is what he just fought an entire war against. Albus knew not all the credit should be awarded to him, but it was anyway. And there was nothing he could do to change that. His thirst for power as a young lad was fulfilled in the worst way possible.

But you know what? He knew he had his duty to the community because he was the people's safety in all this. Much like you were. He talked more than once about running away and giving up that power because he felt himself wanting more and dogged down with the pressure at the same time, so honestly, I'm not all THAT surprised that you would want to as well. The only thing is you actually followed through. I went back to the storage room here halfway through the gathering and I found the fucking Elder Wand. The last known owner of this, by word of mouth, was you."

Bernie jabbed his finger at the Elder Wand sitting on the counter and only then did Harry realize that his mouth was open. Harry cleared his throat and swallowed. "Bernie, I am speechless I don't know what to say. I was hoping no one would ever find out."

"That is your complete stupidity in this entire fucked up situation."

Even through Bernie's explanations, this comment angered him. He can't possibly know how that felt, seeing his friends fade into the back while everyone praised 'the Boy Who Lived' once again. He couldn't possibly know what it was like to not have a single ounce of privacy, your entire life put on display for every stranger to know, whether it was truthful or not. He couldn't _possibly_ know what it was like to lose the only loving family he'd really known because of this constant fame and attention.

 _How could I have ever led a normal life?_ Harry decided to defend himself. "How is this _my_ fault? I've been watched heavily since the very moment the Battle of Hogwarts ended. I've had no time where I could be myself and anything I've ever tried to do, any person I've tried to date, and anything I wanted to achieve has been in the public's eye. This seemed like the best possible choice. If I didn't do this, I would've never met someone like you or Gabrielle."

"No Harry, you took the easiest way out. And do you really want to build a foundation with Gabrielle on lies? Any direction this goes, whether people find out or not, you are going to look like an awful person. And trust me, the more people who know you, the more risk there is of others finding out as well."

"Bernie, what would you have done?" Harry quipped. Bernie had already calmed down some, but he was still visibly upset. After a short time and what appeared to be an awful lot of inner reflection, he answered calmly.

"I don't know. As selfish as I'm making you out to be, I could see myself doing the same thing. I guess that's why it bothers me."

"Then what should I do? Let everyone know? Keep everything a secret?"

Bernie scoffed, "If you let everyone know you faked your own fucking death then I might as well prepare the noose for you at this point."

"Well then, I don't know what to do. I feel like I'm getting in way too deep to prevent any kind of damage. Even Gabrielle wants to go on a date this Friday."

"Oh, don't fucking pretend that you don't want that for yourself just as much as she does. Just see how it goes, but you will have to be honest with her. Also, your mannerisms when you were with your friends started to show back up. You might want to try and uuh, control that."

"Yes, Sir." Harry consented.

Bernie sighed, visibly annoyed at the conversation but still oddly reflective. "If you're going to do this, I'm going to make sure that you do it right at least. My one rule is that you absolutely must tell Gabrielle if you are going to become serious with her."

Harry's eyes widened in a panic. "Come on Bernie, it is going to be one date. It's not like we're getting married or anything." Harry ran his hand through his hair, but stopped halfway, remembering what Bernie had said about mannerisms, and clutched his hand in a fist to stem the urge.

Bernie returned a knowing, if not sad smile in Harry's direction. "Still, love forms in many ways. Once it takes hold, you are fucked. The obsession with even being in their mere presence is intoxicating. If you tell her after a few years of dating the hurt will be a lot more than if you tell her at the beginning."

"I understand."

Bernie grunted his acknowledgement and stalked off to his quarters. This conversation was not only emotionally straining, but now he had a whole myriad of things to think about. For now, Phase One is to plan his first official date with Gabrielle. And by God, he was going to do this right. He hadn't been on a proper date in over a year, and he was going to prepare for the best date of their life.

~Gabrielle~

Gabrielle peered at her reflection in the mirror one last time as she attached two dangling baubles to her ears. Her makeup was done to perfection, as was her hair. The gold flecks of her eye shadow brought out the brightness of her blue eyes.

She wore a white button up shirt with sleeves and a knitted sweater over top for the chilly October night and a skirt that began at her waist and fell to above her knees. She also wore colored tights and shoes to match. One thing she never really thought about but always had in the back of her mind was how she dressed, especially because of her Veela influence on men in general. She didn't want to give them the wrong idea, which almost always happened no matter how hard she tried.

 _Jake seems different._ She thought as she twirled a cascading curl of her hair around her finger. _He's never really acted like the others._ This thought had actually piqued her interest for some time now, and she hoped to find some answers indirectly. It also didn't help that he seemed vaguely familiar to her as well.

There was a knock at her door. "Come in!" Gabrielle called. Her mother came into the room and sat on her bed as Gabrielle finished getting ready. "How's papa doing?"

"Oh, he's doing just fine, dear." Apolline said with a smile. "I just haven't seen you all evening and knew you were getting ready for your date. Let me see."

Gabrielle flashed a brilliant smile toward her mother and twirled for her. "What do you think?"

"Stunning as always, my dear." Before Gabrielle could say anything else, Apolline held a note in her hand. "This just arrived by owl. It's from Jake."

This surprised Gabrielle. Their date was less than an hour away. Her mother didn't look too worried so she didn't let this bit of news bother her.

Gabrielle,

I hope this note finds you well. Please bring along another more comfortable outfit for our date, and to let your parents know that I would like to extend our date to 11 tonight. See you at 5.

Yours truly,

Jake

She stared at the note in wonder. This has already been one of the strangest and unique dates she had ever been on and it hadn't even started yet. Gabrielle grinned from ear to ear, feeling a slight flutter in her stomach as she read the note a second time.

"Now I need another outfit."

"I'll help you, dear." Apolline said excitedly, heading for Gabrielle's closet.

~oOo~

The telltale pop of apparition sounded through the halls of the mans before the he rapt the door with his knuckles. _One of the staff must have granted him access through the enchantments._

Gabrielle opened the door, only to be greeted by Jake with a small bouquet in his hands that was a mixture of pink roses, peonies, and baby's breath.

"Hello, Jake!" Gabrielle beamed at the flowers and flashed him a brilliant smile.

"Hello, Gabrielle." He said as he stepped forward into the foyer. "These are for you. I trust you are ready?"

"Oh yes! Just one moment while I put these in a vase. They are stunning!" Gabrielle said, taking the flowers from his grasp.

Jake smiled at her again, and Gabrielle could tell he seemed a bit nervous. "I know you have all the flowers and plants you could ever want, but I thought these were beautiful and I wanted you to experience them too." Jake clutched his hand into a fist and stared sheepishly in her direction.

"They are absolutely lovely." Gabrielle said genuinely. As soon as the flowers were properly taken care of, she met Jake by the door and led the way onto the patio.

"So, what will we be doing on this fine evening?" Gabrielle said, twirling around as she did earlier in front of her mother in the crisp October air. She never would have dared do that on a date before. _Pull yourself together woman._

"I actually have a number of things planned in a very specific order." Jake said, with his hands in his pockets. They began walking together to the edge of the property line to properly disapparate away. "I have everything completely planned. All you have to do is enjoy our date."

Gabrielle blushed at the words and acquiesced with a bright smile and nod of her head. Jake stuck out his arm for her to grasp and turned on the spot.

The next moment, Gabrielle was staring down a street with buildings all around. She would have completely missed the restaurant if Jake hadn't begun leading her toward a wrought iron fence. The air smelled different in a sense. She could definitely tell they were not in France anymore.

"Jake, where are we?" Gabrielle asked, looking around at her surroundings and absentmindedly clutching her wand. Jake suddenly stopped in front of a long line of people leading into the restaurant. A large sign said _FIRE: Restaurant and Lounge_. She had never seen this part of the world in her life. _Wait, are those muggles?_

"We're in Dublin, Ireland." Jake said, looking to her with a shy grin. "I figured it was far enough away to be memorable, yet familiar enough to not scare you away. I've visited the Irish Ministry a few times and have fallen in love with the country."

"Jake there is no possible way you could scare me away. Besides, this restaurant looks extremely busy." Gabrielle said, trying to peer over the mass of people before them.

"Not to worry, we have reservations." Jake assured her. "The only downside is I think everyone has to make reservations. Also, this is a muggle restaurant so no magic and no wands."

She stored her wand in an inner pocket and they stood and talked about random bits about their surroundings before it was their turn to talk to the doorman.

"Reservations for two, under Jake Meier."

"Aaah, yes if you could please follow me," the doorman said.

They both followed the man until they reached the very back of the room. The tablecloths were white with a very elegant napkin pattern and dinnerware. Jake pulled out Gabrielle's chair for her, to which she gratefully took her seat. The waiter waited till Jake was settled before asking, "and what would the young couple like for wine?"

Jake answered immediately without even glancing at the menu, "We will have a bottle of the Red Château Lagrange, please." _Wow,_ Gabrielle thought. _He must have researched this place before coming._

"Excellent choice, sir. I will give you a moment to decide on your food."

Jake turned to her and said, "We are both having the three-course meal, so pick anything you want." Jake explained. "A starter, the main course, and a dessert."

Gabrielle nodded her head in understanding and began scanning the menu. "It all looks so good!" She exclaimed. "I want to try it all!"

"Me too." Jake said. "You know, what we could do is each get something completely different and share. That way, we can both try as many different things as we possibly can."

Gabrielle wasn't one to share her food, but this wasn't a terrible idea. "Deal." She said smirking. "I think I'll have the Organic Irish Smoked Salmon for my starter, the aged sirloin steak, and the white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake." She finished, closing her menu.

"And I will have the lamb skewers, chicken supreme, and the Irish cheese board." Jake finished, closing his menu. "Cheese sounds strange for dessert." He said with amusement lacing his words.

They both ordered in due time and continued talking about everything and nothing. Their food came and they both discreetly tried to give each other bits of their food to each other. Gabrielle was astonished at how easy Jake was to talk to, as though she had known him for years.

Before she could stop herself, the question had already escaped her mouth. "You know what I am, right?"

Jake stared at her in blank confusion. "Sorry? I'm not sure I understand what you mean."

"You know I'm part Veela, right?" Gabrielle said, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. _Crap, I shouldn't have said anything. I just ruined everything._

Jake ran his hand through his hair before stopping and clenching his fist again. _There's the sign. He's never done that before now until today. Why couldn't I just keep my big mouth shut?_

"I figured it out when I first saw you, actually." Jake brought his hand down. "I have to admit, your Veela 'appeal' is strong. But you are more than that and I can see that your Veela charm does not define you. Yes, you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever met. But being a Veela is only part of who you are, not you as a whole. I'd like to know you for you, Gabrielle."

Gabrielle's mouth nearly dropped open. This was the first time hearing someone explain this to her out loud. Here was someone who genuinely was interested in her companionship for herself and not for her beauty. She felt her eyes become wet only slightly before she realized what was happening and blinked the wetness away. She smiled across the table and looked Jake directly into his brown eyes.

"Wow. Thank you. I don't know what to say."

Jake held up a hand. "No need to say anything. I just wish you heard that more often." The couple began eating again.

Soon, they finished their food and dessert over their laughter and new inside jokes. Gabrielle had finished most of the food completely by herself, much to the surprise of Jake. She really knew how to put away food if it was in front of her, more than most girls could say. Gabrielle watched as Jake paid the bill and was helped to her feet once more.

"Alright," Gabrielle started. "We ate and we still have a few hours of our date left. It's only 7:30. What could we possibly do for this amount of time?"

A slight grin pulled at the corners of Jake's mouth, which sent butterflies through Gabrielle. _Those weren't there before. What the hell?_

They both changed into their comfortable clothes. Jake didn't say a word until they reached a deserted alley in the middle of Dublin, which was a feat in of itself. His hand clasped hers firmly before he said mischievously, "Do you trust me?" Gabrielle could only nod before he took her hand and apparated them away.

She caught her breath from the apparation and almost lost it again as soon as she opened her eyes. They were standing on the edges of a great mountain. They both stood on a very flat piece of the earth near a great valley of water, but it was obvious no one had ever been there in ages. She could tell the air was cold, yet she didn't feel any of the biting chill. Every inch of the landscape was green. She would have been able to see the landscape easier if the sky wasn't already shrouded in darkness. Shades of deep red, orange, yellow, and green met her eyes from the trees and the lake bubbled happily before her. The smell of damp dirt and trees met her senses, smells that were all too familiar, and she closed her eyes to enjoy the freshness of it all.

Gabrielle turned to meet Jake's gaze. "This place is amazing!" She exclaimed, trying to drink in her surroundings. The sun had already set, but still cast a faint purple hue over the land. She wondered what Jake had planned for this magnificent landscape.

"We're in Norway." Jake answered, looking mightily pleased with himself. "I visited here once as well. All we have left is to watch the stars and share some tea and hot chocolate." He gestured to a blanket in some grass that she hadn't noticed before. Jake's _Lumos_ illuminated the area more clearly. "I set this up and cast a warming charm on the area, as well as a _repello muggleton_ , just in case."

He sat down and Gabrielle immediately sat next to him. They sat in awed silence as Jake removed the stasis charm on their hot cocoa. Gabrielle lay down completely next to Jake after sipping from her mug and turned to him with humor in her eyes.

"So, Jake, I'll start off easy." Gabrielle laughed at the concern in his face when she replied, "What was your favorite subject at Durmstrang?"

For a quarter of a second, Gabrielle noticed a fleeting look of confusion on his face before he recovered. After a moment he replied, "Well, I really enjoyed Defense."

"Defense? As in, Defense against the Dark Arts?" _Wasn't Durmstrang notorious for teaching the Dark Arts, not how to defend against them?_

"Uhh, yeah, it was a two-year course in our 6th and 7th year." Jake replied, looking straight above them into the night sky. "It was never fully taught every year, but the Professors thought it necessary with the war and all."

Gabrielle pondered this new information. _I could have swore my friends at Durmstrang said they only really delved into the Dark Arts. Maybe I was wrong. Still, he looked way too taken aback just now._

"Gabrielle?"

"Hmm? Yes?" She said, startled. _Oops! He asked me a question!_ "I'm sorry I didn't hear you."

Jake chuckled awkwardly, cleared his throat and asked, "What was your favorite subject?"

She laughed at herself and said, "That one's easy. I always loved Herbology. It came so easy after growing up in our garden back at the mansion. It was fascinating and new and different every day. It was also one of my hobbies for years so my hobby slowly became my passion, I guess. As an extension I would also say potions. It's always been interesting to see the things I can create from the ingredients I harvest.

What are some of your hobbies?" Gabrielle watched the stars as they twinkled above.

Jake thought a bit before responding, "I'd say in the past my hobby was flying on my broomstick. Though not much anymore. Now I'd say my hobby is more along the lines of brewing and being a sarcastic git to Bernie."

They both shared a laugh over this statement and the truthfulness of it. They fell into a comfortable silence and watched as, one by one, the stars began to make their appearance in the sky. It truly was a beautiful night.

Jake slowly brushed the very tips of his fingers against her own. The touch was so soft she would have missed it if it wasn't for the fact she saw him move. The small act sent another swarm of butterflies through her stomach. She reached out and grabbed his hand, taking the chance. She didn't dare look at him, but he grasped it more firmly before saying, "I just wish we could have come to see the sunset here."

"Yes, that really would have been beautiful." Gabrielle propped herself up to take another sip of her warm drink being careful to not let go of Jake's hand. Jake cast another warming charm over their little threshold. _That explains why I'm not freezing to death._

"Too bad the sun begins setting here around 5:30." Jake said as he began to make circles with his thumb on her hand. Gabrielle's butterflies only became stronger. They fell into a comfortable silence once more before Jake continued the questions.

"So, what's your favorite color?" he inquired.

Gabrielle laughed easily. "How do you expect me to answer such a complicated question?" She jested. In truth, she actually didn't know what her favorite color was. "Maybe you should guess?"

Jake took an intake of breath and almost immediately said, "Blue?"

"Guess again." Gabrielle said with a smile.

"Pink?"

"No."

Jake ruffled his hair before clenching his fist again. "Yellow?"

Gabrielle smirked again, "I'll give you a hint, it's a trick question. Also, you're not even close. I didn't expect you to answer correctly."

"Well then you should help me out because I am at a loss." She could hear the laugh in his voice as he spoke.

Gabrielle drew in a breath and began trying to describe what was in her head. "In my opinion, there is beauty in colors everywhere. We see it in the sky, in our gardens, and in each other. But notice how every color you guessed for me was light. Yellow is bright, blue is associated with the sky on a warm day, and pink is well, pink. All of those colors are beautiful and all, but the real beauty happens behind the scenes before we even see the bright colors. We're taught that the light and brightness and white are all things good and that we should strive for that excellence of pure whiteness. I did all throughout my years at school and growing up but after experiencing everything I could in our Garden and after everything that happened during the Wizarding War, my opinion has changed.

Whites and yellows and anything lightly colored usually means disease and death. Fungus grows, a brightly colored spell maims or kills, and a corpse is pale and cold. Yes, fresh snowfall is peaceful, but what happens when that peaceful snow turns sinister? I've grown to hate light colors because ill fortune is often met in the presence of light."

Jake was listening intently; his thumb had stopped moving over hers and Gabrielle could tell she had his attention one hundred percent.

Gabrielle continued, holding up her wand, "I honestly tend to favor darker colors, like emerald greens and dark browns and deep colors. They work behind the scenes and the dark usually shows signs of life, such as fresh soil, our favorite food and drinks, our wands even. Without the darkest colors, we wouldn't have this black sky to see the twinkling stars above our heads or the mystery of the glassy river. We hardly give credit to the shadows and darkness in our lives, yet we wouldn't have all the wonderful things in the light if we didn't have the dark."

Gabrielle paused and turned to Jake. He hadn't said a word and she hadn't realized she had been rambling. "Sorry about that." She said sheepishly. "It's just hard to explain what's going through my head." She let out a sheepish giggle, hoping Jake wasn't annoyed with her over-explaining such a simple question.

"That explanation is nothing to be sorry about." Jake said squeezing her hand. "Honestly, I think you've just changed my mind about my own favorite color."

Gabrielle propped herself on her elbow once more and asked, "Oh really? And what might that be?"

"Red." Jake stated with a purposefully emotionless face. The façade broke when he smiled and they both broke out into peals of laughter.

They continued sharing their thoughts on the simplest questions, much in the way Gabrielle had about favorite colors. They talked, and shared, and laughed for what seemed like hours. Yet when the time came, Gabrielle felt as though no time had passed at all. She helped Jake pack up the supplies, grabbed his hand, and they disapparated away.

As they began walking, Jake held out his arm which she gratefully took and began strolling back up to the mansion. They stopped at the doorway and Jake dropped his arm.

"I hope you enjoyed yourself?" Jake asked.

"This was the best date I have ever been on." Gabrielle exclaimed. She was surprised her wand wasn't sending out celebratory sparks, she was so happy.

"Well, I'm glad. I hope we can do this again sometime?" Jake inquired, looking slightly unsure of himself.

"I would love that." Gabrielle said happily. "I could check my schedule and send an owl to the apothecary if you'd like?"

"Sounds wonderful." Jake said with a flashing smile. "Goodnight, Gabrielle." Jake grabbed her hand, pulled her forward, paused ever so slightly, and gently kissed the top of her forehead. With that, he turned around and began walking back the way they had come and disapparated on the spot once more.

Gabrielle was left standing on her porch with flushed cheeks and butterflies that refused to remain at bay. _What am I getting myself into?_


	5. Murky Waters

**Edited July 23, 2019**

~oOo~

The next few days seemed like a blur to Harry purely because the memories of his date with Gabrielle would not leave his head. There were times during work when he would randomly zone out and think of a particular moment with her and accidentally let his emotions show on his face. This resulted in Bernie commenting more than once how his, "ugly mug won't get any prettier with that stupid ass grin on your face." Still, he couldn't help it.

Even with Bernie's comments, there was no taking Harry down from this high. As he replayed the date through his mind every now and then he remembered once or twice if he should kiss her but had decided against it. He didn't want her to feel like her Veela appeal was the only reason he wanted to be with her. Because in all reality, he had enjoyed his time on their date immensely. He was surprised at how much they had in common, and yet how many of their opinions differed or enhanced the other's. It caught him waiting with bated breath for when she sent him her owl to inform him of another day that she was free, to only extend their conversations.

The weekend had passed and the beginning of this week had Harry hearing the familiar jingle of the store bell charm later in the morning. He looked up from his task and a wide smile spread across his face as he saw Gabrielle. However, his smile faltered slightly as he saw a somewhat disheveled look on her face. Bernie was the first one to speak, as he was standing behind the counter with Harry.

"Hello, my dear girl. You look rather grim?" Bernie questioned. Gabrielle approached the counter and gave Harry a soft smile in greeting. She then turned her attention to Bernie and said, "Oh Uncle Bernie, I've just been busy. My father has been rather taken busy at work but he has fallen ill again. My mother is taking care of him at the moment and has left the garden to me."

"Well that's unfortunately shitty." Bernie said seriously. "You have your groundskeepers, right?"

"Well yes. . .but between you and me. . ." She leaned over the counter so only Harry and Bernie could hear. "They are truly worthless when it comes to taking initiative. They must be told everything. What to do and when to do it. It's like they can't function unless they have someone standing over them directing their every move and it's tiring."

"Merlin, doesn't that sound familiar!" Bernie said rather loudly and giving Harry a pointed stare.

Harry looked between Gabrielle, who smiled as though suppressing a laugh, and Bernie who was feigning a look of incredulous disbelief. "Hey now, I've gotten better!" Harry stated. They all chuckled good-naturedly before Gabrielle set her elbows onto the counter and let out an exasperated sigh. Harry noticed how tired she seemed.

Before even thinking, words began to stumble out of Harry's mouth. "I could come over and help you with the garden if you would like?" Bernie shot him a look of dubious wonderment; one that said _where the hell are you going with this?_ Harry just continued. "I'm sure I wouldn't be much help and only follow you around like a lost puppy, but I could help where it's needed." Again, Bernie gave Harry a look that screamed 'you twit.'

Gabrielle smiled warmly in Harry's direction, thinking over his statement. "I'd like that very much actually." There was a twinkle in her eyes now. A light that Harry didn't know he had missed. Only now did he realize he wanted that light to stay in her eyes, always. "I was actually so caught up with the garden and gathering supplies that I didn't have the chance to send over an owl, so I apologize."

Harry smiled warmly, running his hand through his hair subconsciously. He didn't care to correct himself. "Don't apologize, Gabrielle. We all get busy and we all have our lives to continue living."

Gabrielle breathed out a gentle breath through her nose, as if to laugh, as her lips pulled into a gentle smile. She looked down as she gently moved a lock of hair behind her ear, and Harry kept his eyes on hers. "Well then I shall expect you around 4 o'clock." She let out a small breath before turning to Bernie again, who had a semi smug look on his face. "Before I forget the reason for stopping by, I need that potion for my father again."

Instantly, Bernie set the vial on the counter and bade her adieu. She immediately headed toward the exit, no doubt to go back and tend to Apollo Gardens in her mother's stead. When the bell sounded from her exit, Harry watched her retreating back before he heard Bernie. "What the Fuck did I just watch?"

Harry turned to look Bernie in the eyes. "What?" Harry could feel the bewilderment on his face as he tried to school his features into something that could possibly pass as nonchalant.

"You know what the hell I'm talking about. That was the most painfully obvious thing I've ever seen in my life!" Bernie picked up a rag as Harry tried to form a coherent thought on what to say back to him. "Just so you know, next time you stare ever so lovingly into her eyes like that again, make sure you're ALONE. Merlin's saggy undershorts, Harry have some fucking class." Bernie turned and grumbled all the way back to his office before he even had the chance to reply.

Harry decided to reply anyway. "Well, at least I'll have plenty of time to practice at the gardens today, so it's a win for me!" Harry called to his retreating form.

"Well, thank Merlin for that. Get it all out of your system while you're at it. And for fucks sake, learn how to flirt properly instead of staring at her like a puppy in need of a biscuit." He slammed the door to work in his office and left Harry with his thoughts, smiling again as he thought about the time he would have to spend with her later that evening.

~oOo~

"Oh thank Merlin, Jake you're here!" Gabrielle rushed to Harry's side as he walked through the front entrance of the gardens. Gabrielle had dirt smeared over her face and she had two potted plants in her arms that seemed to have smoke billowing from the stems. Harry's eyes widened as he took in her appearance and immediately asked what he could do to help, silently praising that he had decided to change into something else before coming.

"Here. Take this." She shoved a list of things to do around the garden as she trotted past him whilst giving directions. "Do everything on this list and have the others help you. They should be all doing work but if you need help, I'm sure they would." She was talking very fast. Almost like she was late for something.

Harry didn't say a word, only nodded his understanding and set off to do each task. She had also included a small booklet beneath her written instructions from her mother that he had not noticed before. While the plants they kept were not necessarily dangerous, he knew that the majority of these plants were highly valuable and expensive. He didn't want to screw anything up so he turned to the nearest worker. The man had heard their conversation and offered to help immediately. Everything seemed to be worse than it was before Gabrielle had visited them at the apothecary earlier that day.

Harry and the worker, who he soon learned was named Charles, quickly tended to the more time sensitive items on the list. More than once while they were working, Harry came upon a group of employees simply standing around and letting the chaos unfold. Much to Harry's disgust, they eventually got back to work after he commented on their behavior, with most of them young men and women his age. It all quite reminded Harry of his time at the Ministry, when he was training and watching after other young Aurors in the department. However, the Aurors he had control over were eager to learn and do their jobs and refused to stand around. That must have been an after effect of the war. Most everyone had lost someone in the battle, be it friend or family. The deaths and injuries of loved ones often fueled the fire for a new generation of Aurors to fight evil.

Four o'clock turned to seven and the workload finally lightened. Charles and Harry were just finishing tending to one of the evening blooming plants (which was Nightshade if his potions training had taught him anything) when Gabrielle emerged from the entrance of their area, along with Charles' replacement. It seemed that they also had an overnight staff.

Gabrielle's hair stuck out in odd places, with random bits of dirt smeared on her face and clothes as well as twigs and leaves in her hair, but she was otherwise looking far more relaxed than earlier. And just as beautiful in Harry's opinion.

She smiled brightly as she approached the pair, addressing Charles first. "Good evening, Charles. You are dismissed for the day. Thank you for your hard work" He gave a small bow before exchanging information with his replacement and leaving the gardens.

Gabrielle next turned to Harry and sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to walk into this mess." She shook her head exasperatedly, a tired and disbelieving grin tracing her soft features.

"It was my pleasure to help." Harry said with a smile. "In all honestly, I'm glad I showed up when I did. What in the world was going on here to cause such an uproar?"

Gabrielle again let out a laugh of exasperation, inclining her head to the skies. "Jake, you have no idea." They began to walk back to the house together. "My mother usually takes care of the garden, but at the moment she has been taking care of my father. His illness makes him very weak, and as Minister for France, his health is detrimental to the running of our country. It's becoming harder to hide. . ." She paused and as her smile faltered. "For the past week, we've had orders upon orders of our plants come through and the societal unrest has only made everything worse."

Harry was content with simply listening to her speak until those words left her mouth. He turned to look at her. "What do you mean, societal unrest?" Gabrielle paused to look at him with an amused and incredulous look on her face.

They moved through the entrance of the mansion and made their way through the many rooms, eventually entering the kitchen. "You haven't heard? It's been all over the news." Harry waited for her to explain, when she grabbed a copy of The Daily Prophet off the counter. They had made their way to an island/counter and sat down while she handed over the paper. The title of the opening article read:

 _ **WILL THIS BE THE END OF PUREBLOODS?**_

 _All throughout the continent, there have been various reports of increasing violence. While the nature of the violence cannot be calculated, everything goes back to one question: Are Purebloods to blame? Many individuals are turning to family trees of pureblooded families to find guilty parties of anyone who may have been involved with You-Know-Who during the Final Wizarding War, seeing as these families were treated with high regard and pardoned of crimes during his regime. With many records having been destroyed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself, many citizens still fear we may have killers on our streets who are trying to target muggleborns._

 _Many of the appointed minsters throughout the continent are commenting on the uneasy feelings that many have toward this situation. The French Minister of Magic, Monsieur Delacour, gave his opinion at the last Minster gathering since the war ended; "This is the same hate that destroyed us in the beginning. We must stand together or we will be divided forever." The Minster of Magic in Britain, Kingsley Shacklebolt, also commented on the uneasiness throughout the nation, adding to Monsieur Delacour's comment: "We must remember our history. History repeats itself if we so easily forget how we came to this point. Prejudices against our fellow brothers and sisters in the magical world led to split sides. [. . .] and while we are so eager to point fingers, keep in mind that there is no black and white with our decisions. There are more grey areas than most people will care to recognize."_

 _There have been no confirmed reports of any pureblood families targeting muggleborn individuals since the Final Battle, however, more and more reports of violence toward pureblooded families has significantly increased. Other reports have stated . . ._

Harry stopped reading and gave a pointed look at Gabrielle. She rubbed her face with her hands before replying. "People have taken it upon themselves to try and seriously injure anyone with ties to a pureblooded family. Their justification is that the Purebloods are the ones that started the whole mess and gave You-Know-Who power. Also because of what happened a few months prior with the disappearance of Harry Potter."

Harry's breath grew still as he heard this last bit of news. He was growing more distressed with every word she told him. _I need to start reading the Daily Prophet more often._ Harry thought to himself. "So, let me get this straight. People are attacking pureblooded families because they're afraid that the purebloods will start another group like the Death Eaters to rid the world of muggleborns, because of the disappearance of Harry Potter?"

"As crazy as it sounds, yes. The Wizarding World was devastated when Harry was killed. Or disappeared. Whatever happened to him, no one got an explanation and the only thing we knew was that he was on a raid to rat out some more ex-Death Eaters. Which brings us to the fact that most of them were purebloods, or at least promoting a pureblood ideology. At first everything simply started as a few harsh words. You wouldn't have noticed it unless you personally witnessed it yourself." She shook her head again. The thought seemed to exhaust her. "That started a few weeks ago, which is another reason why my father has been so busy. That and the fact that everyone has been on the lookout for Harry. He became the people's face of hope for a better world. And now my father can't even leave his bed to do the best he can without the 'Boy Who Lived' to give that hope and advise."

Harry was immediately riddled with guilt at his decision to disappear and didn't know how he could comfort her, as this was obviously something that had been bothering her for a while and not anything he could physically help her fix. "Were you close to Harry?" The question left his mouth before he could stop himself, wondering what her answer could be after speaking of him so fondly before.

She gave him a half grin as she answered. "I didn't really know him, honestly. I had met him before a couple of times and he was always very sweet and utterly kind to anyone he spoke to. You remind me of him a bit actually." She laughed as she recalled her memories. "When my sister, Fleur was in the Triwizard Tournament, I was taken into this Black Lake in Hogwarts as her most treasured possession to find as part of one of the tasks. She was unsuccessful (which is a load of codswallop in my opinion because she was obviously thwarted. But that's a whole other story), and Harry saved me as well as his own treasured person. I spoke with him at Fleur and Bills wedding as well, although I didn't realize it since he was disguised. I only learned about it till after. I had been meaning to speak with him again, but after my father had been diagnosed . . .it had been made much more difficult. And now . . ."

Harry listened patiently as she told him everything before they fell into a reflective silence. Harry decided to turn the subject away from himself. "Is the potion we've been brewing helping him anymore?"

Her smile faltered once more as she immediately knew who he was talking about. "He says it helps but his health keeps deteriorating. It's strange because this disease should only deplete his magic, but it seems to sap his strength as well. He can't run a country like this. Especially with riots starting to pop up."

"Riots? What else is going on?" Harry's eyebrows knit together as he thought of the possibility of protests and riots. _What has the Wizarding World been coming to since I disappeared?_

Gabrielle looked to the side. "I guess I shouldn't say riots. More just very loud disagreements that could turn into something much worse. It's to the point where the Statute of Secrecy could be in danger since muggles are now wondering what all the ruckus is about. But these few violent outbursts by muggleborns and halfbloods against purebloods has scared people. So much so that many families and individuals have turned to us for magical plants and herbs for healing potions or anything that can give them a quick escape."

Understanding dawned on Harry. "So, you've been so busy because you've had an influx of orders for magical herbs and potions ingredients, while also trying to tend to the gardens like normal, with your mother caring after your father and neither of them able to help."

Gabrielle let out a long sigh which seemed to drain her of all her energy. "Exactly. And the workers don't exactly listen to me fully yet since I'm technically not their boss. It only makes everything twenty times harder."

Harry let out a sigh himself and stood up. Gabrielle was surprised at the sudden movement as Harry made his way to the cupboard and withdrew the kettle and some cups. He set the water on and began making tea taking time to do it the muggle way, so as to keep his hands occupied. They sat in comfortable silence, Gabrielle watching him work with a questioning look before he turned around to face her again. Harry took her hand in his and as their eyes met, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I will come help you every day after my work at the Apothecary is done. I will tell Bernie I can stay no later than four every day and do as much as I can to help you and your family in the evening." In all honesty, it's not like he had anything else better to do at that point in time. _Might as well make my free time useful. This might increase my potions knowledge as well by working with the plants my ingredients come from directly._ Harry thought.

Gabrielle smiled and gave a gentle squeeze back as the kettle began to sound, signaling the water was ready. Harry turned around and began making her tea, asking how she preferred it be made (one sugar cube and two dollops of cream). _Note taken._ Harry thought.

They drank their tea together before deciding to go their separate ways. Gabrielle informed him that the next few days, she wanted Harry to follow her around until she found another job for him to do by himself, which would probably consist of simply gathering ingredients to send for their orders.

Harry readily agreed when Gabrielle smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you, Jake."

They finished their tea together, Harry bade her goodnight, then set off for his apartment.

~oOo~

The next few days followed a similar fashion. Harry informed Bernie that he needed to be let off work at four each day, and much to his surprise, Bernie didn't put up a fight.

"I know about all the shit that's been going on recently, and if it weren't for the fact that I know how much that girl is going through right now, I wouldn't let you out of my sight to take a dump."

 _Harry laughed and said, "Bernie, you care about them all."_

 _"There's a reason they call me Uncle Bernie, you dumbass. I've been close with their family for decades. Even before all the political/minister bullshit."_

 _Harry smiled to himself as he thought of Bernie trying to keep his foul language under control around two small, female, quarter veela children in the presence of Apolline and the future Minister of magic for France. Which reminded him . . ._

 _"So, what all do you know about these riots going on?" Harry asked Bernie._

 _"Oh, so you've finally decided to climb out from under your rock?" Bernie said exaggeratedly. "Way to read_ _The Prophet_ _for once! I was actually beginning to wonder if you could read at all!"_

 _"Come off it, Bernie. I've just been preoccupied is all." Harry said in his own defense._

 _"Preoccupied how? Feeling sorry for yourself as the Boy Who Lived or your newfound crush who happens to be 6 years younger than you? Because in all honestly Harry, I don't know which is worse."_

 _Harry was about to comment but kept his mouth shut. Starting this conversation would help no one at this point in time. "In Merlin's name, just tell me what's been going on Bernie. Gabrielle said something about this all starting when I disappeared? Why is that?"_

 _"Is that what she said?" Bernie said as he turned around abruptly. Suddenly, he started chuckling to himself. "Well if I'm not mistaken, that hasn't been in any of the papers now has it?" He continued laughing at Harry's expense as he simply sat there looking bewildered. Bernie continued, "For fucks sake she's guilting you without even knowing it! That's my girl! HAH!"_

 _Harry realized what Bernie was getting at and his expression immediately changed from bewildered, to feigning annoyance. "Haa haa Bernie, very funny." Harry waited for Bernie to get a grip on himself before he answered Harry's question._

 _"The girl is right in a way. The entire wizarding community looked to you for guidance and support, even though you were just a child. Now that your gone, everything's gone tits up since apparently no one knows how to act like a decent human being if they don't have someone to fight against."_

 _"So now they're creating enemies to make themselves comfortable since conflict is all they've known?"_

 _"Well your guess is as good as mine. Or they could just be halfwits who have secretly been terrible people this entire time, but were stuck in the shadows of other people who were much worse." Bernie rubbed at the stubble on his chin. "Come to think of it, I encounter more dumbasses every day so I'm going to say that I'm right, like always, and it's another point for me."_

 _Harry shook his head in silent laughter and exasperation, while seriously considering Bernie's words._

 _And thus, the week went. Harry woke up, began reading_ _The Prophet_ _regularly before his shift, studied for his Potions Mastery with Bernie, worked the hours at the shop, changed into his Herbology gear, and then helped Gabrielle from 4:30 to the point when everything was finished, only to finish each night with conversation and tea. A few of those nights they hadn't finished their tasks until around 10 PM when even the day staff had switched to the night staff. Harry had listened to Gabrielle and followed her, helping where he could and learning what he could in the realm of Herbology, wishing more than once he had Neville to help explain the more intricate details of plants and herb lore than he knew._

 _While they were up to their ears in work, they still found time to talk and laugh together. This seemed to be a great relief to her frazzled nerves, Harry noticed. More than once, he had hoped to bring a little more light to her world, just so he could see that soft glimmer in her eyes again. Apolline had emerged a few times from Gabrielle's father's den to check on the goings on of the Garden, only to find Gabrielle and Harry having fits of laughter as they worked. After witnessing this, she would silently leave them be while smiling to herself._

 _The work was not necessarily easy, since much of it was time sensitive. However, working together, they made quite an efficient team._

 _The week eventually came to a close when Apolline emerged once again to inform them both to take a couple days off. "You have both been working so hard. You could use a break. I'll take things from here and Gabrielle can start again on Monday."_

 _Harry stood up and turned to Apolline. "I don't mind helping at all. I was actually going to ask if you needed any more assistance next week as well?"_

 _Apolline gave him a warm smile as Gabrielle sipped her tea, eyeing her mother with an expectant look. "Why yes dear, we would be delighted to have you."_

 _Harry turned to give Gabrielle a delighted smile, only to see his smile reflected in her own. Apolline sauntered out of the room, back to her husband when Gabrielle turned to Harry, her expression full with hidden meaning. Her excitement nearly radiated off of her in a faint glow._

 _"So, Jake, since we have two days off. . ."_

 _"I was just about to ask if you would like to go on that second date with me?" Harry asked with a mischievous grin on his face._

 _"Why Jake I would love to go on that second date with you." Gabrielle smiled teasingly while setting her hand on his arm flirtatiously._

 _Harry smiled back and said, "Great! I'll pick you up around noon? We can grab a bite to eat and then take a walk around the city."_

 _They talked for a bit more before Harry bade her good night, gently taking her hand in his and kissed it, only to realize the tops of her hands were still covered in dragon dung from the days work._

 _Harry immediately began choking at the taste and smell as it filtered into his nose and Gabrielle again broke out into peals of laughter._

 _"I was wondering what in Merlin's name you were doing!" She managed to gasp between cries of laughter. Harry began laughing too as he realized the absurdity of the situation as he tried to get the taste off his lips._

 _"So much for being romantic." He said through his own laughter._

 _"Come here." Gabrielle said while taking his hand and drawing him near. She took a rag and cleared a spot that was covered on his cheek before giving the area a light kiss._

 _"Good night, Jake." Gabrielle said. Harry smiled warmly, while nodding his head and chuckling softly, returned the kiss on her cheek (after noticing her forehead was not a safe spot), and left for the night, smiling to himself the entire way home._


	6. Unlikely Timing

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. All rights go to J.K Rowling.

Here is another chapter for you wonderful witches and wizards out there! Reviews are much appreciated as I would like to know what you all think and where you think the story is going. I hope to have a chapter written every 2 – 3 weeks so I hope to see you all again soon!

Chapter 6:

The next day, Harry woke up bright and early to get ready for his date with Gabrielle. As he sat up in bed, he took in his surroundings and breathed in the morning air. The steady streams of light filtered in through his window like silk fabric that made the dust in the air glimmer as it fell. His room was steady and quiet, and a sense of calm and peace stole over him in a way that created steady silence. A silence that was not deafening, but content.

Harry began to mentally plan what they would do for the day while making his tea and breakfast for the morning. The bubbling pot of water was a manifestation of how his insides were feeling, for he began to plan his every move.

Harry didn't think it right to plan every little detail of a date since that left little to the imagination and little to be discovered, but there was one thing he definitely wanted to do. He was going to kiss her tonight. The last few days had been extraordinary and wonderful and fascinating. Even with the amount of work they had to do for the apothecary and the gardens, he had immensely enjoyed her company while they were together. He was able to learn more about her in ways he hadn't learned about anyone else before.

He thought back to his time when he was dating Ginny. Gabrielle really is nothing like her. Ginny had always been upfront, brash, almost on the verge of defensive as a result of living with mostly men her whole life. While he still loved her, he lost his connection with her when she couldn't handle the life that was thrust upon her for dating The-Boy-Who-Lived and Lived Again. The stress was too much for her to take on a day-to-day basis and while they were still on great terms and had spoken almost every day, she was the one that needed the break. Harry felt guilty that he had caused so much stress and heartache, especially when he couldn't effectively be there to comfort her on the days when her mind could not rest. Harry's job was demanding as an Auror and also as the lead person for putting the ministry back together and into proper order. Auror training had separated them for a few weeks with little communication, and as soon as he returned, so did the press. The suffocating feeling of always being watched became too much for either of them to handle as it had become an obligation for Harry to which Ginny had not been tied to before. She enjoyed her privacy and did not appreciate her every move being broadcast to the world. Luckily, their break up was not widely publicized on The Prophet or any other wizarding Magazine, so they spared them that at least.

Harry had hoped Ginny would want to continue their relationship again, but after a lengthy discussion, they both came to the conclusion that the current situation did not permit for dating. Against Harry's wishes, he relented, and they both went their separate ways. The part that hurt the most about the entire situation was finding out that she had been speaking with Dean Thomas again, and almost immediately began seeing each other after their official break up. He couldn't understand how she could have moved on so fast to an Ex when all they did was argue in school. Then again people change, the war matured people before their time, and people were trying to find anything to help them move on. Everyone except Harry, Hermione, and Ron. They were all trapped inside the hellish nightmare that was rebuilding the Ministry from the ground up. At least Hermione and Ron had each other for emotional and romantic support.

Harry got the brunt of the publicity (which only solidified Ginny's decision), and no matter how many times Harry retold the story of the Final Battle or the events leading up to it, the story was always twisted in some way. One day, Hermione was the ring leader and brains of the group (which she most definitely was), and the next day she was a mere peon used by Harry to seduce a snatcher or Ron was used as mere comic relief. Their roles in the war were reduced to simple sidekicks with no importance. This angered Harry most above all because Hermione and Ron did not receive the credit they deserved and they seemed to despise him for it. He knew they would always be his friends, but they were beginning to ignore and avoid him toward the end. Harry was losing everyone close to him and only bringing frustration and misery. And he really couldn't blame Ginny either. Unfortunately, he could see all sides of the story.

Returning his mind back to the present, Harry sipped at his tea as he thought of Gabrielle. She has always been used to the publicity both from her father and from Apollo Gardens. She was able to fend and care for herself, but she also didn't mind letting him take care of her as well. He enjoyed being there for her immensely, and they could talk about anything and everything including, but not only limited to, Quidditch. They had avoided talking about each other's pasts up till this point, and he wondered how that might go when they do start treading in those waters. He wanted to tell her the truth because even though he was not to the point of genuinely loving her yet, he knew deep down that she was exceptional and someone he wanted to have in his life. He could definitely see something stronger and beautiful blossoming from their courtship but was afraid if she would react in the same manner as Ginny.

She definitely will if you suddenly spring at her that you're not who you say you are. She'd be absolutely furious and betrayed. Harry thought to himself, finishing his tea. The crunch of his toast broke the silence in his early morning thoughts. He turned from his table and watched the dust from the curtains make playful turns in the air. His room was still dark as he had not bothered lighting anything with his wand; however, the steady stream of sunlight was light enough for his one bedroom. He signed and decided to continue his thoughts in the shower.

One thing Harry knew for sure: he definitely was falling for Gabrielle. That much was evident whenever he thought about her (and not to mention a more physical reaction which he tried to suppress more than he cared to admit). But what was beautiful about their relationship was that nothing seemed forced and everything was based on their mutual friendship. They talked and laughed about everything imaginable and the thought sent a thrill up his spine as he thought how much their friendship had grown.

Harry had little trouble ignoring her Veela appeal; however, her beauty was definitely an added plus and at times intoxicating. He was actually surprised that she would want to date him in any way, shape or form. He still had to cast a glamour on his features for his disguise (which he saw his real face now as he witnessed his reflection in the mirror, finished with his shower). His untidy, black hair slowly transformed again to a lighter brown shade that was almost reaching his shoulders. Then his scar disappeared as did his unruly hair, turning slightly wavy. The glamours had virtually become second nature to him he realized.

Harry decided that was enough thinking for the day. Thinking of Gabrielle was churning his insides again as he finished his morning routine. He dressed and headed to the Apothecary to check on Bernie before running some errands and picking up his date.

One thing that Harry had grown to absolutely love about working at the apothecary was that every day, there was a new array of smells and scents to accost his senses, depending on what was brewing. Harry could smell the faint aroma of mint and seaweed. A strange combination, yet so subtle and soothing that he could almost picture the potion that was simmer in Bernie's cauldron. Perhaps it was a tonic of some sort. It wasn't lethal, and the smell brought faint memories of Shell Cottage. He imagined Bill and Fleur living there now and showing up for an evening meal with Gabrielle. They would invite them in with smiles and open arms and…

"Harry!" Bernie spoke through his reverie. Bernie gave him a pointed look. "Looking a little green today aren't ye?"

Harry checked his person. He didn't feel ill, and he didn't think his glamours changed his skin or his clothes however there was something that he thought he forgot this morning…SHIT!

Harry frantically dashed for a mirror and saw that he had forgotten to change his eye color. That would have been a dead giveaway to Gabrielle. He quickly changed them as he heard Bernie chuckling to himself.

Harry emerged from the restroom and entered the brewing room. "Thanks for letting me know, Bernie," Harry said with relief. "That could have been disastrous."

"Like I said before, you're not the brightest, and I am honestly surprised your dumb ass has lasted this long," He smirked as he began stirring his potion and turned back to Harry. "Why the hell have you dressed so nicely anyway?"

Harry straightened the collar on his shirt as he replied. "I'm taking Gabrielle out again. We were so busy before that we didn't have a chance until now."

"You two make me sick."

"Too bad, so sad."

Bernie scoffed and then turned serious. "Have you told her yet?"

Harry paused at the question. Of course, he would ask that. He was practically family to them and was concerned for her. But in reality, he didn't have the heart to tell her yet. He still didn't know if they would last, what would happen in the next few weeks, and if she would want to be with him after. He didn't want a repeat of Ginny, leaving him wanting and feeling less than desired…

"I'll take that as a no," Bernie growled.

Harry stayed silent for a minute before admitting, "I'm planning on telling her everything if things become serious."

Now Bernie turned his full attention to Harry, setting his potion filled vial aside. "And you aren't serious now? How many dates have you been on?" Bernie scoffed and turned away, a look of disbelief on his face. "You're not just going to play her like a harp and then leave her when you're done.."

"Bernie. No!" Harry interrupted. "I would never do that, and I'm honestly insulted that you think I would."

Silence filled the room once more before Bernie grumbled, "You need to tell her."

Harry looked to the floor and nodded his head. "I know. And I will, I promise."

"Good. Now help me clean up this mess you made."

Confused at his accusation, Harry noticed the potion that Bernie had finished brewing and all the potions ingredients that had been left in the open to clean up. "Bernie!" Harry called, but all Bernie did was shove the filled vial into Harry's hands and was out the door to the front counter. The note on the vial said "New and Improved. For Pierre Delacour."

Harry made quick work of cleaning up the back room from Bernie's potion, left a quick note ("You can fuck the fuck off. 3 Harry"), and took his leave with the vial.

~oOo~

Harry had finished his errands in due time, caring to stop at a local bakery for some pastries that could be enjoyed by the pair of them while they walked around the city. He came up to the gates and was ushered in by a house elf. _Strange_. Harry Thought. _I've never really noticed that the Delacours have house elves._ Harry banished the thought from his mind, ascended the steps to the great mans, and knocked on the door.

He was greeted, to Harry's surprise, by Fleur. Against his better judgment, Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he realized who it was. A bright smile lit up her features as she stood in the doorway.

"Jake!" She exclaimed. "Gabrielle said she would be expecting you." Fleur made a go at grabbing his arm, and he obliged.

Feeling the need to fill the silence, but afraid to speak too much, he answered, "Yes, well I was going to take her out on the town."

She smiled dazzlingly at him again and almost scoffed, "Of course I know this already. She can't seem to speak of anything else since we arrived last night."

Fleur let go of his arm at the back entrance of the foyer and continued to speak to him as she walked backward. "What were your plans if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was planning on just walking around Paris for a bit today, and if anything catches our eye, we could do that. We hadn't planned anything solid." Harry ran his hand through his hair nervously. _Maybe I should've planned something out a bit more. Harry worried to himself. This really is only our second date. I should've put more effort..._

As Harry's thoughts slowly turned more and more toxic, Fleur merely giggled. Her sing-song laughter momentarily shook him from his reverie, and he shot her a questioning, if not hopeful, look.

"She would love something like that." Fleur leaned in a bit closer, as they were nearing the doors to the kitchen. "She loves small, privately owned cafes. You can never go wrong there." A wink and she was in the door announcing Harry's arrival.

Gabrielle was sitting at her usual chair when she immediately stood up to welcome him. Bill was also seated at the table, along with Apolline. They seemed to be waiting for something to happen, and he briefly hoped it had not been him that they were waiting for.

Gabrielle took Harry by the hand and led him over to the table where everyone was seated. "I'm so glad you could make it, Jake!" She exclaimed as he was, once again, being dragged across the room. Harry found himself smiling at the soft contact of Gabrielle's hand as she strung him along to the table. "Fleur and Bill came last night unexpectedly! They're here to help with the Gardens this weekend while father is recovering and we're on our break."

Harry smiled, his heart fluttering nervously as he took Bill's hand and shook it amicably. "Wotcher, Jake," Bill said, sending a pang of grief through Harry as Bill reminded him so much of Ron.

Harry turned to Gabrielle and Apolline as he gently took out the vial that Bernie had given him, gently setting it on the table and handing Gabrielle one of the pastries he had bought for them. The group sat and conversed for a bit, Gabrielle and Harry munching on their treats before they heard a slight movement by the stairs. They all turned toward the source and saw Monsignor Delacour, taking careful steps to the lower level.

Apolline immediately stood up and went to give him aid when Gabrielle grabbed a chair for him to sit. He took his chair with a hefty sigh and began sipping tea that Fleur had set before him as he made his way into the room. Pierre seemed to be having trouble even lifting his cup. When he spoke, his voice was soft and slow as though drugged. He was so pale; the color of his skin was ashen grey, and he has a slight wheeze in his breath.

"How are you feeling, father?" asked Fleur. She was smiling, but there was obvious worry etched into her features.

"I'm doing m-much better." He said with a crooked smile, resting his elbows on the table.

Harry reached for the vial and set it down closer to his hands on the table. "Here you are, Sir," Harry said. "This was prepared by Bernie this morning. He said it's 'new and improved.'"

"Yes, thank you so much for bringing it by today." Pierre took the vial and began screwing off the glass lid. "I didn't know he was working on any improvements to the treatment?"

Harry shrugged. "I honestly didn't either. He just handed it to me as I left this morning."

"Well, here's to good health." Pierre raised the vial and began to drink. The potion itself must have had a foul taste, for he grimaced, trying to swallow the liquid without gagging in front of his family.

In a matter of seconds, nothing seemed to happen. Then all at once, Pierre's skin slowly began to lose the ashen grey appearance, his hair didn't appear quite so lanky, his eyes were no longer fixed in a constant state of uncomfortable pain, and he stopped shaking. Pierre let out a satisfying sigh as his ailment seemed to temporarily leave his body.

The entire group let out a collective sigh of relief, Apolline kissed her husband on the cheek, and Fleur had tears in her eyes. Gabrielle took hold of Harry's hand and was squeezing it appreciatively as Harry returned her gaze.

"Father, this is the best I've seen you in over a year!" Fleur said.

Pierre lifted his hands and took in the fact that he could raise his cuppa without struggling. "Fleur, sweetheart, I believe you're right." A singular laugh escaped him as he realized what all had been helped by this potion. "I believe we do owe Bernie quite a lot for his troubles."

The joy that was felt in the room spread through them as they sat and talked. Pierre and Apolline began speaking of going back to their regular duties while Fleur, Bill, Gabrielle, and Harry all started their own conversation.

"So how long will you be here for?" Harry asked, turning to Bill and Fleur.

Fleur was the first to answer. "We haven't really discussed it. We were thinking as long as father and mother needed us, but since that potion worked so wonderfully, I don't know."

Bill stepped in, turning his attention mainly to Fleur. "We could stay just to visit and enjoy this good fortune while we can."

"Oh, please that would be wonderful!" Gabrielle said. "It'd be just like old times!"

They conversed more before Gabrielle turned to the clock on the wall. "Jake, were we supposed to be anywhere in particular anytime soon?"

"Not really," Harry replied. The good news had put a delay on their date, but he honestly didn't mind. He was just relieved to see Gabrielle so happy after constantly seeing the worry etched on her features the past week. "We can leave whenever you are ready."

'Well, don't let us keep you two!" Bill said. "Go have your fun. We'll be here when you get back."

Gabrielle beamed up at Harry and said, "Ready whenever you are!"

Harry returned the smile and escorted her out into the Gardens, past the disapparition point, and they vanished together.

~oOo~

When they first apparated into Paris, they had not quite appeared in the place they both wanted to be. Eventually, Harry asked Gabrielle to disapparate them to a place that was better suited for their needs, to which she happily obliged.

The sidewalk they apparated to the second time around was a cobblestone walk with many different shops. Since lunch was almost past, they decided to walk to one of Gabrielle's favorite cafes for the sake of time.

Once they were inside and settled (the restaurant being Au Petit Seuisse, a muggle cafe Harry had never heard of), they ordered their drinks and food and began to patiently wait. Harry was actually surprised that they were seated so quickly, as it seemed this was the kind of place that may need reservations ahead of time.

He decided not to dwell on that aspect too much and instead turned to Gabrielle, who was looking down to the lower level (they were seated beside the railing that overlooked the bar area) with a sly smile on her face.

Harry's interest piqued. "What is it?" He asked her. She gently shook her head, her eyes widening a little as she seemed to realize she was staring off into space on accident.

"Nothing really." She said looking at him. Harry raised his eyebrows expectantly, to which she sighed almost dreamily before answering his unspoken question, "I was just thinking how lucky I am."

"What makes you say that?"

"You'll think I'm silly." She said, blushing slightly.

"Try me." Harry leaned back into his chair, ready to listen to what she had to say, the corners of his mouth gently curling.

"I just feel lucky to have you in my life. It was so random, and yet it's been so perfect. You brought me on an amazing first date, soon to be an amazing second date, you helped my family and me with the gardens, you bring the potions that help my father, and Merlin knows what else you do." She stopped for a moment. "Like I said, I just feel incredibly lucky."

Harry smiled and took her hand. "You're not the only one who feels lucky." He stayed quiet for a moment to gather his thoughts. His heart started to rush a bit as the next words came out of his mouth. "I like you a lot Gabrielle. I hope we can continue seeing each other."

A dazzling smile lit Gabrielle's face as his words sunk in. As if on cue, the food had arrived, and they began to eat, abandoning the topic for the time being. They ate in moderate, comfortable silence as they enjoyed the food and each other's company. There didn't seem to be much to say; however, they were comfortable enough to not have to fill the silence with words. Every now and then, Harry would steal a glance in her direction, and their eyes would meet. Harry smiled almost sheepishly as he looked down again. He raised his head and asked, "What would you like to do after this?"

Gabrielle tilted her head in thought before her eyes lit up mischievously. "Have you ever been to the Wizarding side of Paris?"

Lowering his fork, Harry narrowed his eyes slightly. "You mean, where Bernie and I have our shop?"

"That is one area, but I'm talking about the place where new students go for their school supplies. It's the heart of Wizarding Paris!" Her hair seemed to sparkle in the beautiful afternoon sunlight that managed to stream in as she flipped her locks from one side of her form to behind her back. She leaned in and rushed her words out in excitement. "Have you ever been to London and visited Diagon Alley? I know that you went to Durmstrang, but I don't know of an equivalent for you."

A slightly uncomfortable feeling stole over Harry at the mention of his supposed attendance of Durmstrang. However, he still answered her truthfully. "Yes, I have been there. I once stayed at the Leaky Cauldron while I was visiting family." After running away from the Dursleys and staying with the Weasleys. Close enough, I guess. Harry thought.

The only sign Gabrielle gave Harry was a triumphant look that stole over her perfect features as she leaned back in her seat. She opened her mouth to say something more when she was interrupted by, what appeared to be, a Muggle man standing next to them. He looked directly into her eyes as if he had never seen anything so beautiful in his entire life before this moment. He held a single flower in his hand that shook slightly

"Excuse me, miss." The man's voice quivered. They both turned their heads in his direction, and Harry's mouth dropped slightly at the sight. The man continued. "You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life."

Gabrielle smiled good-naturedly and graciously took the compliment as though she had done so a thousand times before. "Why, thank you, Sir." She bowed her head slightly and gave him a smile that was respectful (though if Harry was not mistaken, her eyes seemed annoyed).

The man looked down to his shaking hands and handed her the flower, a red rose, and extended it in her direction. "It's amazing how one day someone walks into your life, and you can't remember how you ever lived without them."

In all of a moment, Harry had to suppress a strangled laugh from escaping as Gabrielle's eyes widened and she quirked her eyebrows, her mouth flattening into a thin line of distaste.

The man still didn't seem to notice, so he continued. "I would like you to accept this to signify our courtship, and I promise every living day of my miserable life to you, however long that may be." He broke the long stem from the rose and attempted to move toward Gabrielle to put it in her hair. She moved away from him as he approached and Harry automatically stood up from the table, a look of warning etched on his face and all traces of amusement gone.

Gabrielle sensed the tension and put her hand up to signal Harry to sit back down. Harry saw her signal but only moved back. He didn't like this man coming after her so rudely and wanted to be ready, his Auror training kicking in and his wand at the ready up his sleeve.

Gabrielle was the first to break the silence as the man was now eyeing Harry suspiciously. "Sir, I am flattered, but I do not even know your name."

Her words instantly softened the man's features as he turned away from Harry to look at Gabrielle. "But our love is destiny, my dear! Our names beat together as one even as we speak!" He swallowed before realizing she was patiently waiting for him to reply. "My name is Julien. I am at your service, my Angel."

He attempted to put the flower back into Gabrielle's hair when she stood up as well, her patience running thin. "Julien, I would appreciate it if you stepped away from me." He froze in his spot and did as she commanded. "I'm sorry, but I am just not interested in you. Please go back to your table so we can enjoy a pleasant afternoon without incident."

"But . ." He made another attempt to move forward, this time trying to grab her hand. As he reached out, Harry stepped in and grabbed his wrist instead. The look of shocked surprise etched his features once again at the sight of Harry, as though he had forgotten he was there at all.

Harry took his chance. "She asked you to leave."

"Oh yeah? And who do you think you are?" Julien said, immediately defensive.

"This is my boyfriend." Gabrielle piped up from behind Harry. "I suggest you leave us alone since I am already taken."

The man began to struggle as Harry's grip had become painful. Harry let him go but kept his fist clenched. Julien backed away slowly, went to the neighboring table, and began writing something down. Harry and Gabrielle stayed standing in their defensive positions through the whole display. Eventually, he came back and attempted to hand her the napkin, to which Harry forcefully took out of his hands.

"That's for you, my lovely lady. I will always be here when you tire of this goblin standing before you."

Harry's anger must've shown through because almost immediately he could feel Gabrielle's gentle touch on his arm. He looked back to her and realized that he was nearly ready to punch the man out. Harry took a steadying breath and relaxed enough to turn around to his own seat and take a sip of much-needed water.

Fuming, Harry continued to eat his meal, and Gabrielle stayed silent until he had sufficiently cooled down.

Only realizing how his behavior was during the whole ordeal, Harry finally looked up to see Gabrielle smiling admiringly at him as she too, ate.

"I'm sorry for my behavior." Harry apologized. "I didn't mean to almost lose my temper, and for that, I apologize. You shouldn't have had to witness that…"

In reply, Gabrielle simply laughed, though a bit uncomfortable. "Why do you think I was so surprised when you weren't as affected by my Veela appeal when we first met?"

Harry's face fell as realization stole over him like a cloak. "This happens to you frequently?" Harry asked, almost surprised. Almost.

"Yes. My sister and mother as well. It drives our father crazy sometimes. He's had to be very careful not to hex some men because of his Minister status." She laughed gently at the memory. "He looked just like you did just now."

A heavy sigh left Harry. "Then I'm glad I didn't overreact," Harry said, almost as a question. He gave her a crooked smile which she gladly returned. Her features fell slightly as another thought crossed her mind.

"Don't be surprised if it happens again today. Or any time we go out in public, really." They paid the bill as the waiter came back and they stood up from their seats, sauntered down the steps together, and out the door. As the door swung shut, Harry remembered something that she said inside.

"So, that bit about me being your boyfriend?..."

Gabrielle's step faltered only slightly as he caught her off guard. Harry's hands were in his pockets, and Gabrielle's wand was in her hand as they walked down the street together before she replied hastily, "Oh Jake, I'm sorry I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries. I was just trying to get him off our backs."

What little flame of hope he had was quickly doused by her words. "I see…"

She turned her head slightly to look him in the face, a worried look in her eyes and her eyebrows pulled together, creating a line of worry between them. "What?"

Harry's heart skipped a beat as he hesitated. "What if...I want to be your boyfriend?"

At this comment, Gabrielle completely halted in her tracks. Harry hadn't quite registered that she had stopped, so he turned around to the most magnificent smile that illuminated her features. "Do you?" She asked excitedly, her voice taking Harry's breath away as he sensed her happiness.

Relief combined with anxiety about their next few words rushed over him as he turned to face her completely. "If you'll have an old goblin like me."

The laugh that escaped her was near hysterical as she came forward and grabbed his hands in hers. "Jake, I would love to be your girlfriend."

Harry's face lit up entirely as he gave her a dazzling smile that transformed his features. "Brilliant!" He managed to say, taking her hand in his.

They walked together, often giggling as they looked to each other, and Gabrielle accidentally showering the walk with gold sparks from her wand.

Suddenly, she abruptly turned Harry around and said, "Well Jake, as your girlfriend, it is my first duty to bring you to the realm that is known as Wizarding Paris!" She was almost twirling them around in circles, to which Harry tried to curb as people were staring.

They ducked behind a mostly deserted alley, Harry looking down to the excitement that etched her features. Gabrielle was convinced that they would need the whole rest of the day in Wizarding Paris, so she decided to contact her parents and sister to inform them that Harry had not yet seen this place and needed the full day to experience it all. She was not yet able to produce a Patronus, though she had been working on this particular spell for a while. Harry offered to send his, informing Pierre and Apolline of their change of plans, and they were off, disapparating on the spot.


	7. Two Steps Forward

J: Hello all! Here is another chapter for you! Thank you for being so patient with the postings. I know they are totally random but you are all great so, I thank you!

To address some of your comments, yes Harry mistakenly sent his stag patronus without even thinking. YIKES. I really wanted to stir the pot a bit more so there should be a pretty intense chapter coming up here. Depending on your thoughts and reviews will also help me decide which path I want to take so keep them coming!

This chapter was very interesting because I wanted to world build a bit since we really only get a snapshot of the Paris Ministry of Magic in _The Crimes of Grindelwald_ and a place like this is never really mentioned in the books. It was more difficult than I anticipated, but hopefully I was able to paint a picture well enough for you.

As for the ice cream scene, I wanted to show that their relationship is really growing with a solid friendship foundation and that they are not afraid to be themselves with each other. That being said, Gabrielle's "dare" ice cream really does exist although it tastes better in the muggle world than it does for them. And Harry's is based off a real food. I have included links so you can read up on it yourself if you would like as well as a video. WARNING: the video is not for the faint of heart. If you have a queasy stomach, DON'T WATCH IT. I made that mistake while I was eating.

slideshows/worlds-strangest-ice-cream

/culture-traditions/the-sour-herring-premiere/

watch?v=e-qflm0APTk

Also, I have never visited Paris or even the U.K. so I apologize if I royally screwed anything up in regards to culture or how things really are. I tried to research a bit so I hope I did it justice. If you have any suggestions, I'd be glad to hear them!

I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not I!

Chapter 7

Harry's feet landed unsteadily on the pavement after the side along apparation. He looked around himself to gather his bearings and make sure Gabrielle was still by his side when he fully realized where they were standing.

Harry was surprised to be confronted with a giant three-pointed arch that seemed to lead into another part of the street. He could see people bustling about, conversing with one another, eating, and shopping. The area seemed to be rather busy. The archway they now stood before could, more than likely fit two fully grown people in height at the tallest point and nearly five times in width. The street before them had shop signs that were wrought in iron and brandished the store's names so they could be easily distinguished and the same lay behind them. The cobblestone street was decorated with pots of plants and hanging ivy.

A smug look had spread across Gabrielle's face as Harry raised his brows with confusion. They were apparently still in muggle Paris, and he hoped his bewildered look encouraged Gabrielle to clear the air.

Gabrielle giggled slightly as she raised her wand. She began to touch the arch in three separate points: once on the ground to the right, once to the left, and then raised her wand above her head to the highest point. She swiftly brought her wand down, and as she did, a curtain seemed to fall before them. A sheer glimmer of magic appeared to slip through the ground to gradually reveal a brand-new cobblestone street. If Harry had blinked, he would have missed the magnificent reveal of this new place.

Harry's jaw dropped at the sight before him. While what he saw quite reminded him of Diagon Alley, there were things he never would have imagined existed. The shops seemed to stretch on for miles, ranging from apothecaries and clothing stores to cafes, restaurants, and other shops that sold amenities and various household objects. One shop in particular that was nearby seemed to be selling furniture of all kinds in an array of bright colors. There was life and color within every inch of the walk, with confetti and fireworks that littered the skies, even in broad daylight. Advertisements for brooms were actually being displayed through trials at one of the nearby broom shops (a young boy with a Beauxbatons scarf whizzed past them, flying just to the top of the buildings), a live phoenix was singing his soft, melodic song off in the distance, a group of young French witches were discussing a particular potion's properties in the hopes of passing their summer homework, and items that Harry had never seen before decorated the windows and walkways. However, the one attraction that caught Harry's attention the most was the fact that everything was so orderly and pristine; a near opposite of Diagon Alley. While the entire alley gave you the sense that everything was magically being held together or reached to astronomical heights, it was so pleasing to the eye that you wouldn't have noticed the magic holding everything together unless you knew what to look for. Banners seemed to float in midair advertising for herbs from the local shops, clothing, potions, furnishing, sweets, even music. A band of witches and wizards played soft background music to the people passing by, and a few of the shopkeepers in a wizard joke shop similar to Gamble and Japes were demonstrating a new line of wizarding jokes on passersby in hopes of successful advertisement. The buildings ranged from astonishingly tall, to very short yet everything fit together like an orderly puzzle.

A few moments passed before Harry realized his mouth was still open at the sight before him and he promptly shut it, listening to the soft musical tones of Gabrielle's laugh. Harry didn't know where to look. Everything was so full of life and excitement that he could have gotten whiplash from turning his head so much. Instead, he looked toward the source of the giggle to his side, eyes still wide with astonishment.

"Gabrielle!" Harry exclaimed. He stammered for a moment before Gabrielle let out a genuine belly laugh at the sight of his struggle and replied before he could speak.

"It would have been worth it to have the press here to record your face!" She laughed again. The mention of the press made Harry instinctively check his surroundings just in case, but the distraction didn't last long. He turned back to the happy face of Gabrielle who promptly grabbed his hand and led him down the street.

She didn't say much of anything during their walk as they dodged people, things, and sometimes animals as they tried to find an end to the shops that seemed to be nowhere in sight. She merely let Harry experience the entirety of Wizarding Paris without her interruptions, gazing back to him to check his reactions as they went. Her smile hardly faded from her face as they walked hand in hand, nor did it falter. Harry was sure the same blissful look covered his features too as they weaved through the crowd.

A few times, what appeared to be giant golden balloons would float over in their direction to which Gabrielle took out her wand and cast a silent _Flipendo_ to make it explode. Golden sparks erupted and showered them with confetti, which disappeared as the scraps hit the ground. Harry tried his hand at one of the balloon objects that floated near, and the same incredible explosion happened, this time with light blue and white. Harry tried blowing the glittering paper into Gabrielle's face who laughed and ran ahead of him to escape. Curious, Harry asked what the confetti balloons were for since another seemed to appear in the air from the chimney of a nearby shop when one was obliterated.

"Oh, they're coming from the shop up there called, _Le parti_." Harry laughed a bit at the simple name that gave such dazzlingly beautiful displays of magic. "I know, really original. But if you need anything party related or even in the least bit fancy, this is the place to go. Everything from that ball we went to a few weeks back came from this shop. The balloons are really just for advertisement as well as for the new Beaxbatons students who just received their wands to have a bit of fun before they are completely restricted at home or at school."

Indeed, Harry did see children and adults of various ages practicing on the balloons as they walked about. Quite suddenly, Gabrielle took a hard left and led Harry down an alleyway that still contained more shops. He couldn't count the number of strange items for sale within the windows. It seemed that these particular alleyways contained shops all the way down the end, leaving no bare walls as an eyesore, but instead looped around and even zigzagged through various parts of this seemingly little town. And yet, Harry had become aware that there were no shops explicitly selling anything Dark Magic related. No turn led them to an area like Knockturn Alley and no shops contained anything dark within their wares. _Interesting._ Thought Harry.

Their first visit was to a medium sized shop that served ice cream, very similar to Florean Fortescue's place in Diagon Alley. The ice cream could be stacked up to 20 scoops high, and the flavors were actually trademarked by Bertie Botts Every Flavour Beans, so the flavours were endless. Harry settled with a safe chocolate ice cream with chocolate chunks while Gabrielle decided to try something new and ordered an equally safe white chip macadamia nut ice cream. They were waiting for their frozen treats when Gabrielle giggled again at the bewildered look on Harry's face at some of the flavors.

"How many people actually order sardine flavored ice cream?" Harry asked in astonishment.

"You'd be surprised, dear." The lady behind the counter said as she handed him his cone.

"I dare you to try it!" Gabrielle said to Harry, who turned his astonished look onto her before his expression turned into one of determination and mischief.

"Alright, I'll try it. But only if you also try the…raw horse meat flavor."

"Jake, that's not even fair those flavors are not equal in any way!" Gabrielle exclaimed. "Raw horse meat is WAY worse than sardines!"

"Actually, my dear," piped up the lady behind the counter. "This ice cream takes after the Swedish, Surstromming: the foulest smelling sardine in the world. While some people do enjoy this taste with a piece of bread, others are unable to even smell this particular sardine."

"And what makes it so foul?" Gabrielle asked, looking down at the ice cream in curiosity.

"The fish is fermented for about 6 months in just enough salt to keep it from rotting." The lady answered with a sweet smile.

Harry turned to Gabrielle in horror but knew that they would at least be equally matched in the rancid flavours. He held out his hand in agreement to the dare, which she hesitantly took. They both received a sample of their respective ice cream choices and went outside.

With one hand full of their unmelting cones and the other with their small plastic spoonful of "dare" ice cream and some napkins, they sat on a circular table and chairs and counted down. Gabrielle's face showed determination and a shadow of regret for the future destroying of her taste buds. Harry knew his face betrayed his uncertainty as well, but he was determined to win this dare.

Harry began. "One.."

"Two.."

"Three!" They both said as they shoved their respective spoonfuls into their mouths at the same time.

The taste was so rancid that as soon as the cold ice cream assaulted Harry's tongue, he was immediately gagging and finding that swallowing was immensely difficult. Harry would have been embarrassed by his reaction until he looked over and saw Gabrielle with her hand covering her mouth, gagging just as hard as he was, her face immediately turning a shade of red he had never seen before on a human ever. Oh, how he tried to pretend it didn't bother him and oh, how he failed miserably!

Against Harry's will, he retched into a napkin but managed to keep the frozen custard in his mouth, only to trigger a strangled retch from Gabrielle as well. They were causing quite a scene. Their combined retching was comical enough that Harry was momentarily distracted to realize that Gabrielle was a sympathy gagger. If he retched, she retched. They both managed to swallow their sample of ice cream before bursting out into peals of laughter. Their very audible gags had drawn some attention and only more so when they started laughing and desperately trying to shove their safe ice cream into their mouths as fast as they could.

"We need to get out of here," Gabrielle managed to breathe out in between her laughter and bites full of her macadamia nut ice cream. "Everyone's staring!"

Harry immediately grabbed her hand and off they sped into a different alley, their laughs echoing slightly off the stone walls of the buildings. As they slowed, they enthusiastically began a retelling of what had just occurred, even though it had happened only moments before. Their laughter and excitement seemed contagious to those around them as the people they passed smiled, seeming to share their joy without knowing the true reason to their enthusiasm.

They finished their ice cream as they walked and observed the plethora of different stores and shops around them, stopping briefly to get a drink to make sure all traces of the rancid ice cream were gone.

Gabrielle visited a few wizarding robe shops and bought a stylish new hat and some shoes for herself. Harry brought her into a shabby looking apothecary with the sole purpose of seeing how different it was compared to Bernie's shop. Indeed, it was quite different as they had far fewer ingredients for sale and most of their potion wares seemed to be second hand or not as good quality. It was a wonder why Bernie didn't have a larger shop here in the heart of Wizarding Paris, but it indeed explained why he always had people visiting his shop.

They wandered around, buying various objects and browsing as they went. Harry bought Gabrielle a brilliant set of earrings that had a single stud in a rosy pink color. She immediately put them on and shared a dazzling smile that took Harry's breath away.

At this point, Harry had to wonder if her happiness affected the output of her Veela pull, because every time she smiled or laughed, Harry's heart seemed to skip a beat. Not only that, but the people around them seemed to stop in their tracks to take in her pure and natural beauty as well. It made him wonder, but only fleetingly as he didn't want to ponder too much over the fact that she took his breath away and that there could be another very logical explanation other than that he was beginning to fall in love with her. This revelation quite astonished him as he thought about it as just this morning, Harry had told himself that he knew he wasn't quite there yet. However, in just these few fleeting hours everything had changed.

This prospect honestly scared him a great deal as he had definitely been in love with Ginny before, and it had taken him a long while before he had accepted that she did not want him anymore. The thought, even now was devastating, especially since he had tried to keep those thoughts at bay since his supposed disappearance.

Still, these moments with Gabrielle were astonishing, pure, and everything he had ever dreamed of. And by the looks of it, she was beginning to feel the same way. Although he could not be sure, her furtive glances in his direction were encouraging to say the least. But of course, he didn't want to look too far into it, lest he misinterpret it and make a fool of himself.

The hour was growing late, so they decided to grab supper at one of the restaurants. This one was a deal less shabby than the Leaky Cauldron, and there were no rooms for rent as the motel was separate, but the food was just as delicious. They ate and chatted and laughed about everything that had transpired that day and even reminisced about their first official date together. Everything seemed absolutely perfect.

And in the blink of an eye, it was dark. The nightlife in Wizarding Paris was just as exciting and beautiful. The playing animals from the menageries were let out to fly and hunt, most of the shops were closed, but there were still lights stringing every nook and cranny which illuminated the walkway. There were just as many people now as there had been before, and the people who were there all brought their own entertainment since most of the shops were closed.

Street performers were spread out on the walkway, only staying on the main road and never into an alley. Little standees of private shops were beginning to pop up selling various items ranging from jewelry to spell books.

"There are stringent rules about what and who can sell on the streets at night," Gabrielle explained. "Soon you'll see vendors selling drinks such as butterbeer and snack foods. Some people will even have music and depending on the night, there could be some pretty amazing outdoor dances."

Harry glanced her way as she explained what was custom and answered, "I really hope tonight is one of those nights."

Luck seemed to be on their side as not long after, music began and people started dancing in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor directly in the middle of the walkway about three-fourths of the way down from their original three-pointed archway entrance.

The music was fast and jarring, and they merely watched at first as people began to filter in from behind them. Once there was a sufficient number of people, they decided to join in the fun. Harry didn't know how long they danced before the music slowed. Harry took a step back and asked for Gabrielle's hand which she immediately obliged.

Gabrielle gently placed her left hand on his right shoulder while Harry's right hand landed softly on her waist. Harry paused for a fraction of a second, taking in her dark blue eyes before they started to dance.

"Jake, I cannot tell you how wonderful of a day this has been." Gabrielle began. "Even despite that wanker from earlier this morning, this has truly been the most amazing date I have ever been on." She let out a hearty laugh before continuing. "Honestly, I thought I was sick of this place but coming here with you, it's like I get to experience it new all over again."

"Well then, I certainly hope our first date as boyfriend and girlfriend have met your expectations?" Harry asked.

"Of course." Gabrielle smiled, her face turning a slight shade of pink. "I'd give you an O if this were your OWLs."

"Whew!" Harry breathed an exaggerated sigh of relief. "I didn't think a Goblin like me could pass my O.W.L.s! Onward to my N.E.W.T.s! I heard those are much more difficult to pass."

Gabrielle's laugh filled the air once again, and Harry joined her this time. She had leaned in slightly, and Harry's heart leaped. She was staring at his lips. Harry glanced down to hers as well, and they were parted slightly, her breath was cool and nearly brushing against his face.

 _This is it!_ Harry thought, knowing his moment to kiss her had finally come. They were still dancing, when Harry began to lean in. Their dancing faltered gradually till they eventually came to a complete stop. They stared into each other's eyes, coming closer and closer together, Harry's heart pounding in his chest so frantically that he was surprised she couldn't hear or even feel the desperate thuds.

Harry leaned in a bit more, preparing himself mentally for what he was about to do when suddenly, the music changed to a fast rock and roll, and the people around them began dancing like madmen again. Harry didn't want to drop his gaze from hers, and she stared into his eyes with the same longing. He eventually broke his gaze when a fellow partygoer bumped into him on accident, forcing their eyes apart. His shoulder had bumped into Gabrielle quite forcefully, and he tried to keep her stabilized as they found their footing again, never fully letting go of each other.

They both let out a breathy chuckle at the horrible timing of the interruptions. But the moment had passed, and Harry was kicking himself mentally for not taking the chance when he had it. He was hoping he would have another chance again, but the DJ seemed determined to only play boisterous songs from that point onward.

The one thought that kept creeping into Harry's mind was that Gabrielle seemed to want to kiss him as well. And if the fleeting glances that she gave him every now and then as they danced were anything to go by, she was falling for him in the same way he was for her.

They danced and danced, Gabrielle's silvery blonde hair lay smooth on her head, no matter how many times she spun around or jumped in place, and no matter how many times Harry's clumsy arms nearly chopped her head off in an attempt to perform some elaborate dance move that only embarrassed himself. Still, he would recreate every silly step again if it meant he could see Gabrielle's joy and laughter again and again.

Eventually, the hour grew late and they both decided it was time to retire to their respective homes. They headed through the arch and disapparated to the edge of Apollo Gardens.

~oOo~

The very tail end of the familiar POP of apparation was leaving the air as they gathered themselves after they had landed. The garden was calm and quiet, save for the night workers that were being followed by their gentle orbs of magical light.

The couple didn't move right away but instead took in a few deep breaths before Harry entwined his fingers with Gabrielle's. She looked up at Harry and locked eyes for a moment before she slowly clasped onto his hand and they began their walk back to the Manor.

They didn't talk much as they walked for fear of being overheard by the night staff. Not that they had anything to hide, but they had talked so much that day that it seemed nearly redundant to talk about anything else in the presence of such a calm atmosphere. The crisp night air brought a fresh feeling across Harry's skin, and he idly wondered if Gabrielle felt the same. He chanced a look in her direction and saw that her hair seemed to nearly glow in the presence of the moon and the light it gave off. Again, for the millionth time that day, Harry's heart seemed to skip a much-needed beat within his chest. His eyes moved from her hair and face to look between them at the sight of their hands entwined together. He grinned secretively as he took in the sight of them walking hand in hand together. They were nearly to the front of the Manor when Gabrielle spoke.

"I can't thank you enough for today, Jake." She said, glancing to her side to look at him briefly. "Today was truly remarkable."

"I can't agree more," Harry replied. "This day has been quite extraordinary. Thank you for showing me Wizarding Paris. I really didn't realize how much I was missing out on." _And how much I've honestly been living like a muggle as much as I could up until this point without even realizing it._ Harry thought.

"The pleasure is all mine," Gabrielle said, turning around as she began ascending the steps backwards. "Every moment was worth seeing your reactions."

"Well, I'm immensely pleased that you enjoyed yourself." A moment of silence followed Harry's comment. They were still holding hands, and as Harry climbed the last step, his eyes locked back onto Gabrielle's with the ease of someone looking upon a marvelous sunset.

The corners of her mouth were pulled up into a gentle, almost playful smile. She took a tentative step closer to him, as she gently bit her bottom lip. This did not go unnoticed by Harry, but he refused to look down to her lips just yet. He wanted to memorize every facet of her beautiful eyes first. Her eyes that seemed to dance with emotion with every breath, that seemed to crash over him like a tidal wave of blue with gentle flecks of green and brown. Her eyes were truly remarkable in the sense that he could see the kind of person she was, just by staring into them. Her very personality and being was shown through her eyes alone, and he wanted to learn every part of her being through her eyes if he could. Kindness, tenderness, love, patience, understanding: all these things he could see in her eyes.

It took a moment before Harry realized how truly lost he was in her eyes alone. He closed his slightly parted mouth and blinked a few times slowly to regain himself, looking away for a fraction of a second.

Gabrielle seemed to sense his inner thoughts because her face mirrored his own. She had been looking directly into his eyes as well, after all.

"Jake," Gabrielle whispered, barely audible. He knew his whispered name wasn't a question or anything to be answered verbally. Instead, ever so gently, Harry raised his free hand and placed it onto her arm. She, in turn, grasped onto his elbow and stepped even closer than she was before. Harry's heart beat frantically in his chest again as he realized the proximity to where they were standing in relation to each other.

After adjusting himself to fully face her, he removed his hand from her arm and stroked her cheek as softly as he could manage. Gabrielle's eyes closed at the faint touch, almost leaning into his caress. His fingers grazed her cheek ever so gently until they reached her chin, to which he tilted upwards. Her eyes fluttered open expectantly.

"There's something I've meant to do for a while now," Harry breathed, never leaving her gaze. "But I'm wondering if this something will be well received."

"You won't know until you try, now won't you?"

At Gabrielle's words, they leaned in even more until the sides of their noses touched, leaving their lips barely a breath away.

In all of an instant, their lips met as they both moved to close the gap between them.

Their lips gently brushed against one another in a way that sent the butterflies in Harry's stomach into a roar of tumultuous pleasure. That single brush was enough to stop his breath in its tracks and render breathing an impossible task.

They broke apart for a second, the air that had been stuck in Harry's lungs seeming to make its presence known as he huffed out his elated breath.

Harry's eyes slowly closed again as their lips met for a second time. His hand and fingers entangled through her hair and cupped the side of her face as gently as he could as his lips found solace against her own. He could briefly recall the moment when her hand left his and grasped on to the front of his jumper while her other hand slid down to rest on his side.

Harry desperately wanted to pull her flush against him but resisted. Their mouths moved together harmoniously, opening a bit wider with every reclamation of their kiss. Their tongues ever so slightly brushed together in the heat of their kiss that sent shivers down Harry's spine. It had been so long since he kissed someone with this much passion and tenderness that he almost had to keep himself from moaning. Harry could feel Gabrielle smile through the kiss, and they gently broke apart.

She kept her face close to Harry's, and they stood together in silence, their foreheads pressed together in an intimate display of affection.

After a few moments of attempting to reign in their ragged breathing, Gabrielle opened her eyes and averted her gaze upward to Harry's. "I hope to see you again soon?" She questioned him without moving away and holding on to him with a bit more force.

Harry secured his grip around her waist and kissed her forehead. Gabrielle closed her eyes at the touch of his lips against her and leaned her head into the curvature of his neck when he withdrew. Harry rested his chin on the top of her head and replied, "The feeling is mutual."

Harry pulled away after a brief silence and kissed her again, lingering only for a moment. "Goodnight, Gabrielle." He nearly whispered as he began walking away past the barrier of the Gardens.

"Goodnight, Jake." Gabrielle moved a lock of hair behind her ear and took a step back. Her hand gripped the door handle before turning around to see Harry's retreating figure.

Harry knew that if he turned to look at her, he would have a hard time convincing himself to keep going. Therefore, he kept walking without turning around to look at her. He bit his lower lip as he walked, trying to keep his fluttering stomach at bay and resisting the urge to dance on the spot in shear happiness. Past the apparation point, he vanished with a loud POP.


	8. One Step Back

Hello again everyone! Thank you for your patience in uploading this chapter. We have received some great ideas via reviews and DM so please keep them coming!

Also, I would like to bring some attention to a town in Nebraska that got destroyed by the flooding. It's a small town named Niobrara, Nebraska and isn't getting nearly as much news coverage as it should.

Enough of that! To answer some of your reviews from last chapter, I know it's been frustrating that Harry has not told anyone about his identity yet but we also have to realize that Harry had absolutely no intention of EVER telling anyone. Bernie was an accident and he never intended to fall for Gabrielle romantically because he didn't want to hurt himself or another person ever again. Being Harry Potter only brought more pain and misery, so while his personal world was falling apart, he honestly could not see the bigger picture. I hope this helps in explaining our thoughts a bit more. This will take Harry some time and major courage. His confidence in himself left when he lost the support of his friends, and by extension, his only real family.

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J. K. Rowling.

Chapter 8: One Step back

Harry returned to the comfort of his own apartment, the butterflies in his stomach refusing to remain at bay. He lit his wand and stood for a minute, reveling in the wonderful feeling that came from the night's events. He began making his tea for the night and sat down at the counter in an attempt to wind down.

The entire day had been incredible. There was not one moment he would have changed about that day, and the idea of the future sent his heart thundering through his chest. Not just because he was happy about what had transpired, but another thought that crept into his thoughts and temporarily seemed to put a stasis on the otherwise good feelings he was experiencing.

He and Gabrielle were officially dating now, he had kissed her, and they were seriously and exclusively seeing each other which only meant one thing: He had to tell her the truth.

Harry finished his tea and made his way to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. He cast a _Finite Incantatem_ and watched as the features that were not his own melt away. His unkempt hair became shorter and midnight black, his scar appeared back on his forehead, and his eyes turned to the familiar emerald green. He could barely recognize this person staring back at him through his mirror, though he knew it was him.

He had tried so hard to start over, to blend in without even thinking that he could possibly fall for someone. In fact, his life before and his falling out with Ginny and his friends was a huge reason as to why he had left in the first place. His fame hurt those around him. Harry's name alone seemed to carry a looming shadow of burden over the ones he loved. He had believed for a long time that moving on from Ginny would not even be an option. He still loved her, though that love was shifting into something that can only be described as love for a family member. But Harry still had to admit to himself that Ginny leaving him had been a terrible blow. The one person he trusted to stick by his side other than Ron and Hermione couldn't handle living with him after the war. The mere thought still hurt to even think about.

He didn't want a repeat of these feelings with Gabrielle. If he told her the truth, she could hate him, never want to see him again, or worse tell the world that he had not died. The torrential shit storm that would hit the proverbial fan in that scenario would wreak havoc on the world he had created for himself. His trust in her would be utterly broken.

But her trust in him would be shattered beyond repair as well if she found out about his true identity. And this fact scared him. Because even though he was reluctant to give his love again (though he tried not to show his reluctance), he could not deny the fact that he was lonely. He missed his life from before. Definitely not his life that was riddled with a war against Voldemort and the Death Eaters, but his friends, the Weasleys, Hogwarts, and everything else that made him feel like a normal human being. All of his energy that he had put into loving Ginny was now suspended, waiting to be given freely again. And Harry knew that Gabrielle would accept his love wholeheartedly.

 _Maybe I'm not giving her enough credit._ Harry thought. _Perhaps she'll understand._ But even these thoughts seemed too good to be true.

Regardless of how he felt, Harry knew that he had to tell her and tell her soon. He respected her too much to keep his lie going. He could only prepare for the worst and merely hope for the best. Harry's resolve took over as he knew that as soon as the time had presented itself, he would tell her everything. She deserved to know who she was actually dating after all.

~oOo~

The next morning, Harry woke to the sunlight streaming into his room and heard knocking at his door. At first, he believed he was dreaming, or there were birds making noise until he heard a soft, "Jake?" coming in through the door.

"Jake, may I come in?" Gabrielle said. Immediately Harry shot out of his bed and ran to the bathroom, panicking.

"Sure, yeah!" He shouted across the room. "I'll unlock the door!" He unlocked the front while simultaneously shutting himself in the bathroom. Nearly hyperventilating, his stomach jolted painfully at the thought that now was the perfect time to tell her everything. They were alone in his apartment. He could walk out right now and explain everything to her and end it all.

"Jake, are you okay?" Gabrielle's voice drifted in through the cracks of the door.

"I'm fine, Love." He rushed out, trying to gather his bearings and not thinking about what exactly he was saying as his world began to spin. "I'll be out in a moment." He heard her gentle, hesitant footsteps patter over to the counter and sit in one of his chairs. Harry hastily decided to put his enchantments back on and maybe try to not shock the ever-living hell out of her by walking out of the bathroom as Harry Potter and not Jake Meier. He quickly cast his glamour spells back on his features and took four deep, steady breaths to calm himself before stepping out.

Gabrielle's face lit up when he stepped out, though her features were shrouded with concern. "Are you alright, Jake?" She asked, standing up and walking over to him. "You're sweating. Are you sick?"

Harry wiped away the sweat off his brow and laughed nervously. "No, no I'm okay. I think I just ate something that didn't agree with me is all."

He looked up into her eyes and immediately felt a fresh wave of calm rush over him. He was panicking for nothing. The jitters that took over his body left him only with the remnants of the butterflies that resided within his belly. He ached for another kiss from her.

And then reality crashed down again. He had to tell her. Was now the right time?

Gabrielle seemed to be growing more and more confused by his behavior as Harry's emotions played across his face.

 _I really need to work on that._ He thought, once again wishing he had taken his occlumency lessons with Professor Snape more seriously when he had the chance. He schooled his features to reveal a smile to ease Gabrielle.

His smile did not have the desired effect as she only turned her head slightly with a suspicious look on her face. Harry looked down to the ground, trying to figure out how he was going to tell her. He decided to try and open up a conversation that might lead to this dreaded truth-telling.

"I had a really great time last night," Harry said, shuffling his feet slightly.

"As did I." Gabrielle blushed, gracefully moving a piece of hair behind her ear as her expression eased slightly.

They fell into a brief silence as Harry struggled with the information he wished to foretell when Gabrielle spoke up again.

"I'm really only here to convey a quick message. My parents were wondering if you would like to join us for supper tonight around 7? Fleur and Bill are still here, and now that we're officially dating, I guess they would like to interrogate you."

The very thought struck fear within the very depths of Harry's heart. He was comfortable around her family for sure, but now the weight of having to tell Gabrielle the truth turned his thoughts into a jumbled mess.

Gabrielle's laugh chimed through the air. "Don't worry!" She told him, completely misinterpreting his worried expression. "They like you, Jake. They won't embarrass you are me I promise." She stood up to kiss him on the cheek and turned to leave. "Honestly, they probably won't even ask you any questions. They ask Bernie enough as it is, they probably already know everything about you."

"Gabrielle, wait," Harry said as her hand gripped the door handle. Her delicate fingers slowly slid away from the door, and Harry's breath caught in his throat as he barely registered her answered, "Yes, Jake?"

Harry stood for a second, sweat beading down his forehead. He was not prepared for this moment. _Maybe it would be more beneficial if I waited and prepared?_ Every single one of his fears and doubts flashed across his memory in an instant.

"I . . . Um. . . Should I bring anything?" _Bugger. Fuck it all. This was harder than I thought._ Disappointment in himself for backing out of telling her swept over him like a torrential wave. But with that wave also came a refreshing relief that he had more time to actually prepare.

Gabrielle smiled, slightly confused at his behavior. "No Jake, just bring yourself." She smiled, bid him farewell, and stepped out the door.

After Harry heard the distinct POP of her disapparation, he sank down once again onto his bed and hid his face from the world, taking a few deep breaths to steady his breathing. This was going to be much more difficult than he initially thought. . .

~oOo~

The dark wooden door stood before Harry as he slowly gained the courage to step inside. He knew that the Delacour's security charms must have been set off and they knew he was waiting, but his conversation with Gabrielle this morning left him feeling slightly uneasy. He steadied his breathing once again and knocked, taking a slight comfort in the fact that he most likely wouldn't be telling her tonight.

The door swung open to reveal Bill standing before him in the dimming light.

"Jake!" He exclaimed, stepping aside to permit Harry to go indoors. "You're a bit early, yes? We're still making supper."

"Oh, wonderful! I'll help where I can."

Bill paused for a moment and gave Harry the briefest of stares to the point that Harry wasn't sure if he was scrutinizing him or was merely surprised that helping make food seemed like a natural response. Regardless, Harry remained true to his word and helped the last few preparations for their supper. Gabrielle greeted Harry happily as they walked through the kitchen door, giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek, to which he returned happily. She glided back over to Fleur and continued stirring a boiling pot of stew while her sister cut various fruits.

"Jake!" Fleur greeted when Gabrielle returned, putting her paring knife down and making her way to where Harry and Bill stood. Fleur gave Bill a swift kiss and then rest a gentle hand on Harry's shoulder as Bill returned back to his kitchen duties. "I am so glad you could come tonight!"

"I'm glad for the invite," Harry replied, smiling warmly. Gabrielle gave a swift look back to the pair's exchange as she continued her stirring. "Just tell me what to do, and I'll help where I can."

Fleur smiled and directed him over to the drinks with Bill. Harry immediately got to work as the group made small talk, with frequent laughter from Gabrielle and Fleur as they discussed things privately amid their conversations. Harry's heart was warmed every time he heard Gabrielle's laughter with her sister and noticed that Bill would turn in their direction as well. Bill's face softened, and his eyes were gentle with as much love Harry could ever imagine a person could show. Bill became a completely different person every time Fleur's laugh rang through the air. Eventually, Bill drifted over to the girls as though he couldn't help himself and planted a kiss on her forehead, spun her around as if in a dance, and went on as if nothing had happened. Their smiles shone bright, and Harry longed to do the same to Gabrielle.

When Bill wasn't gazing at Fleur or focusing on his task, Harry swore that every once in a while, Bill was looking at him. Harry put it off as paranoia and tried not to think of his fleeting glance that would wander over him every now and then.

After a few minutes, Apolline and Pierre came into the room with desserts bought from the local shops. They set them on the counters and greeted Harry in the same manner as Bill and Fleur.

"Just in time too!" Said Gabrielle. "Everything is ready."

They set the table, and before Harry knew it, they were eating together. The scene felt so natural, yet he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable and nervous as this was the first meal he would be sharing with Gabrielle's family. Not to mention the fact that they were now dating.

"So, Jake," Pierre began after a few minutes of small talk and eating. "Where are you from again?"

Of course, Harry knew this interrogation was coming. He tried to stick to the truth as much as he could. "Well, I'm originally from Surrey. I sort of just lived amongst the muggles there. It was a nice quiet life."

"But you went to Durmstrang?"

"Yes," Harry said, laughing nervously. "I went there." _Fuck. Here we go…_

"Well, why on earth would you go there and not Hogwarts? What was it like there?" Pierre asked. "I hear they mainly focus on the Dark Arts?"

Harry ruffled his hair as he replied, "Yeah. I wouldn't say they necessarily focused on the Dark Arts." Harry replied, trying to remember his conversations with Snape, Malfoy, and Dumbledore all at once from his days at Hogwarts. "I would say the Dark Arts were explored more by fighting the dark with the dark and expanding your arsenal of spells, not necessarily using it to your advantage…but as another branch of magic such as Herbology or Charms."

Pierre shook his head good-naturedly at his explanation, and Harry bent his head low, hoping the questions were done. Harry chanced a glance in Bill's direction and immediately wished he hadn't. Bill was staring at him intently. He wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was scrutinizing Harry's every movement. Harry felt his face turn red at the realization and Bill's eyes narrowed even further.

"Is that where you learned your Patronus?" Bill asked suddenly, keeping his gaze firmly attached to Harry.

The blood in Harry's body ran cold, and he suddenly started shaking. Only now had he realized his grave mistake from yesterday. He sent his Patronus to relay his and Gabrielle's message without even thinking that his Patronus was easily recognizable. _Stupid, Stupid, STUPID!_ Harry berated himself. Now was not the time to reveal himself in front of the entire Delacour family. If Gabrielle's parents had gotten the Patronus message, it's possible they wouldn't even think twice about it given the fact that they did not know Harry personally from before to know his Patronus. Bill on the other hand . . .

"Uh, yeah I learned the Patronus while in school," Harry said, trying to remain calm. He shifted slightly in his seat in a futile attempt to avert Bill's gaze but was unsuccessful. The rest of the table was oddly quiet to hear the rest of the conversation. Gabrielle and her parents seemed to be at ease, but there was palpable tension between Bill and Harry that Fleur had obviously caught on.

Bill tilted his head, "That's quite a bit of advanced magic. Most fully-grown wizards can't cast a Patronus."

"Yeah, it took quite a bit of practice," Harry replied, giving a nervous laugh.

"I do wish I could have seen it for myself." Apolline chimed in. "Pierre and I were attending to some of the immediate needs of the Ministry and the Gardens at the time." She turned and smiled at Pierre. "I'm glad to say that was time well spent as things have begun to calm down." _And now I know that Bill intercepted my Patronus. Fabulous._

Grateful for this subtle change in topic, Harry grasped onto it like a child holding a savory piece of candy. "Really? What was going on?"

"Oh, just the usual riots that have been brewing over the past few months," Pierre said, grabbing another helping of food. "I gave a simple statement to the local papers that seemed to calm things down a bit."

"That's great news, Papa," Gabrielle said, looking relieved. The situation must have been much more severe than Harry realized.

Harry was about to ask another question about society outside their walls when Bill spoke again. "So, what was your Patronus exactly?"

Harry's stomach clenched painfully at this sudden question. "I'm not sure actually."

"It looked like a Stag to me."

 _There it was. Did he know? Did he know who he was? Did he realize he possibly found The Boy Who Lived? He always was extremely observant. Did he underestimate him?_

"Really? I always thought it looked more like a reindeer." Harry smiled awkwardly while ducking his head a bit toward his plate, suddenly losing his appetite. He took a small drink of water as Bill's eyebrows came together slightly in a subtle frown.

Gabrielle broke the tension by voicing what Harry had meant to ask Pierre earlier. "So, what new information do we have on these protests?"

Pierre shook his head and sighed. "Well, this whole thing started mainly because of the disappearance of Harry Potter. Most of the families that looked up to him needed someone to blame for his supposed murder, so now they're blaming the purebloods. It's as though our world has done a complete 360. You think they would've learned by now. Anyway, it's not quite so prominent here in France, but in Britain, there are already talks of targets on pureblooded families. Draco Malfoy and his wife Astoria being near the top of the list, seeing as they are one of the more well-known pureblooded families. It doesn't help that Draco and Astoria married each other either since they're both Pure bloods to begin with. Any child of theirs is going to have a rough time indeed.

Anyway, people are still angry and grieving the loss of the loved ones from the war, and it seems that revenge is a frequent visitor. And honestly, I believe the only reason our family has not been targeted is that you girls are part Veela."

"You can't believe that?" Apolline asked.

"Yes, I do believe that Dear. You're technically not purebloods. I could see them protesting against me though."

Harry folded his napkin and placed it beside his half-eaten plate of food. The guilt he felt was overpowering. Bill's grave face didn't move, but Harry could see his eyes move to look over toward him.

"Enough of this somber tale!" Pierre said, lifting his glass.

"I agree, Papa," Fleur said. "Plus, Bill and I have an announcement that we hope will lighten your spirits."

The entire table fell into an expectant silence, looks of confusion washing over everyone's face as Bill and Fleur reached for each other's hands.

"Mum, Papa. We're pregnant!" Fleur exclaimed, squeezing Bills hand in excitement.

Apolline gasped and covered her mouth, as did Gabrielle who seemed to instantly burst into tears of excitement. Pierre's astonished look lasted only a second before a wide smile spread across his face.

Gabrielle shot up out of her seat and bounded over to Fleur to give her a fierce hug. Apolline did the same, and they all began chattering away excitedly. Harry was almost overwhelmed with emotion as well, especially since Bill and Fleur were his closest connection to the rest of the Weasley's and his old life. The excellent news demolished any ill feelings Harry had been battling before.

Harry went over to them and shook Bill's hand in congratulations. They eventually sat down and began chattering away again as a family, the topic of choice often flowing back to the baby. A bit of talk about Bill's work, to the baby. More chit chat about Harry's time with Bernie at the apothecary, back to the baby.

Eventually, they settled down with tea after their desserts. They made small talk before Harry stood up to leave.

"Thank you, everyone, for your hospitality." He said to the room, shaking Pierre's hand and taking Gabrielle's into his own. "I had a really great time tonight, and the food was excellent."

They bade him goodnight and Gabrielle walked him out to the porch. They stood outside comfortably together, watching the stars appear one by one in the twilight.

"Gabrielle, how come you made all of your own food tonight? The muggle way?" Harry questioned.

"Oh, we always have done it that way," Gabrielle said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "It's become a sort of tradition. We do have house elves to cook and clean for us, but sometimes it's nice to do it yourself. My mother was the one who started it. She saw a muggle cook in front of her and thought it looked easy, so we made a day out of it. Ever since then, it's something we do every now and then to spend time together. Obviously, none of us know how to bake." She said, laughing at some distant thought of a failed batch of cookies or a toppled over cake.

Harry laughed with her as she relived her memory and sighed softly. He squeezed her hand gently and turned to her.

"I best be leaving soon." He said. "I don't want to take away from the excitement of spending time with your sister."

Gabrielle nearly squealed in delight. "Can you believe she's pregnant?" She exclaimed, bouncing up and down and looking as though she might topple over from the bounce in her breasts alone. Not that Harry minded.

A laugh escaped Harry's lips as he witnessed her joy. "So, are you excited?"

"You have no idea, Jake! This will be the most spoiled child on this earth!" Gabrielle clapped her hands together in another excited gesture and sighed dramatically.

Harry laughed through his nose and smiled down at her again. He really did love how she could express such positive emotions and energy, leaving him feeling almost breathless. "I shall leave you to it then." A brief thought crossed his mind, telling, no yelling at him to tell her the truth. But he didn't want to ruin this night for her. Not tonight. He wasn't going to tell her yet. "Goodnight, Gabrielle."

Harry's hand gently cupped her face as his fingers wound through her hair and he pressed his lips gently against hers. Their lips moved eagerly against each other as Gabrielle's hands rested on Harry's waist. Their tongues met for the briefest of seconds before they broke apart, nearly breathless.

"Goodnight, Jake," Gabrielle said, her wide smile lighting up her features.

A fresh wave of guilt crashed down on Harry as he heard, not his name, but his pseudonym. He smiled almost sadly back at her and kissed her forehead. Gabrielle's eyes closed at the tender touch and he back away as she went inside. Harry made his way up the walk and disapparated on the spot.

~Gabrielle~

After Jake left, Gabrielle drifted into the living area to find Bill and Fleur waiting for her by the couch. Gabrielle's brilliant smile still graced her features from everything that had happened that night, not to mention the last few days. She now had a boyfriend who was respectful and who she absolutely adored, her family was together again, her father was feeling better, and now her sister was pregnant. Nothing could bring her down from such a good mood.

Fleur patted the chair beside her, and they talked for a bit about everything and nothing. They had a lot of catching up to do after all. Apolline and Pierre had gone up to bed, so she was left alone with Fleur and Bill. Fleur and Gabrielle cooed over the idea of her child, whether it will be a boy or a girl, possible names, and any other baby related topic they hadn't covered earlier at dinner. Bill, however, looked uneasy. He eventually stood and began pacing the room, scratching his chin every now and then or refastening his ponytail to keep his hands busy.

Gabrielle noticed a lot of that happening today. Jake seemed uneasy too. This morning he acted especially strange. There had been a moment when she thought he was going to tell her something. Something important, but had decided against it. The idea made her feel a bit uncomfortable, but she didn't put much thought into it until supper. Then he seemed nervous again. Jake had never really come off as a nervous person, but today was different. It was as though he was watching everything he was saying and being extra careful, which had never really happened before.

Bill was acting strange too. Every now and then, Gabrielle had caught Bill giving Jake the most intense stare she had ever seen, no wonder he was nervous. But now that Gabrielle could see the uneasiness again, she wondered if there wasn't something more.

"Is everything alright, Bill?" Gabrielle asked, turning to face him properly as he slowed his pacing.

"Actually, there was something I needed to speak with you about," Bill said, stepping closer and finding a chair. Fleur nodded in agreement and faced her husband with concern clouding her features. The sudden change of their moods occurred so quickly that Gabrielle was instantly concerned.

Waiting for a reply, Gabrielle answered, "What did you need to talk to me about?"

Fleur and Bill exchanged a look full of meaning before Bill continued, "Have you noticed anything strange about Jake?"

The question took Gabrielle entirely off guard. "What?" She asked, unsure if she heard correctly.

"Just answer the question," Fleur said in reply.

"I guess not. No. Why?" Gabrielle stammered, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked between Fleur and Bill.

Bill continued. "I just want you to be careful around him." Fleur looked to the ground as Bill continued his explanation. "There's something not right about him."

Gabrielle's eyebrows rose in quiet astonishment at this statement. "Okay?" she answered. "Care to elaborate?"

A thoughtful look swept over Bill. "Do you know how to detect glamour spells on a person?"

"No, I don't. Is that something you have to know for your job?"

"To an extent. You really just develop an innate sense for detecting spell residue. Especially spells that are still active." Bill pursed his lips and said, "Gabrielle, I want you to look at Fleur and tell me if you notice anything. Anything different or peculiar about how she looks."

This sudden change of subject again brought an alarming feeling over Gabrielle, but she obeyed his request and turned to her sister. She searched and scanned her features, moving from her face to her shoulders and arms, to her hands sitting in her lap. She didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"I'll give you a hint." Bill chimed in. "Look at her hands."

Gabrielle followed his orders and began searching her hands. "Wait a second," She said, catching something amiss. "Weren't your nails red before?"

Fleur smiled approvingly as she held up her hands to display her nails. "That's correct." She said.

"Okay now that you know what's different, I'll tell you that I cast a glamour on them to change the color," Bill said stepping forward and dragging Gabrielle to sit closer to Fleur to get a better look. "I want you to look and see if you can see anything else accompanying the different color."

At first, Gabrielle couldn't see anything different other than the fact that it looked as though Fleur had repainted her nails to a light shade of pink. Upon closer inspection, however, she did notice a faint blue hue covering the paint. She would not have known it was there if she wasn't actively looking and disappeared often enough to make her doubt herself, but she definitely saw it. "Are you talking about that holographic blueish purple glimmer on top?"

"Precisely," Bill praised, clapping his hands together in approval. "Now, have you noticed that anywhere on Jake?"

Again, this question took Gabrielle by surprise and she quirked her eyebrows in question. "No? Was I supposed to?" Her eyes darted between her sister and brother-in-law again, her concern growing by the second.

Bill clasped his hands tightly together and rest them on his knees. While looking up to her, he replied, "Well, I have noticed something. I noticed it first at the ball we had a few months back. I saw it mainly on his face and didn't think much of it other than to learn the spell he used. I wanted it for myself to maybe control some of these scars on my face. Even asked Bernie for the spell too since Jake said it was his creation.

Bernie said he didn't have the spell, and it was only for the night, so I let go of the thought. But I saw that same spell residue on him tonight. I narrowed it down to his hair, his eyes, his forehead and possibly other spots on him. That's the hard part though is sometimes spell residue will jump out from random places, so it's difficult to tell, especially on people."

"So, what? You're saying Jake is casting some sort of spell on himself every day?" Gabrielle said incredulously, scoffing at the very idea.

"I'm just saying, that he might not be who he says he is," Bill said, holding his hands up in surrender, eyebrows raised. "We love you Gabrielle, and we want what's best for you. I didn't bring it up in front of your father since he has so much on his plate already. I don't think he could handle something like this at the moment."

Gabrielle wrinkled her nose in distaste at the idea. "Is that why you were so concerned about his Patronus earlier, during supper?" Gabrielle asked, narrowing her eyes apprehensively.

"That was a reason yes. I had intercepted his Patronus, and it definitely wasn't a reindeer. He's hiding something." Bill stated.

"But I have noticed it too." Fleur interrupted. "The spell residue. I'm not as attuned to it as Bill, but I did notice it. But his voice sounds so familiar. I just can't put my finger on it"

Gabrielle sat in silence for a bit, taking in their warnings. She honestly had never noticed any spell residue on Jake. But I guess now she would start looking for it. "Do you guys think I need to stop seeing him?"

Fleur's eyes widened slightly. "No, I wouldn't say that." She said, grasping onto Gabrielle's hand. "But if you ever feel as though he is lying to you and he won't tell you the truth, you need to leave him. You are worth more than that. If he comes forward, listen to him. Maybe he has a reason for the lies. But if he turns out to be a psychopath, I will not hesitate to track him down."

A strangled laugh escaped Gabrielle that she tried to abruptly cover. Fleur smiled and laughed with her before saying, "But I can tell that you really like him. And he really likes you. Quite a lot actually. I was surprised at how normal it felt to have him at supper with the whole family tonight."

"Yeah, that was bloody strange I thought," Bill answered. "I almost feel as though I've known him for years."

"Well then, hopefully, he's not a deranged psychopath." Gabrielle laughed. "Although according to some man on the street he is a Goblin soooo who knows."

Fleur and Bill were satisfied that their message had been given to Gabrielle with minimal hysteria. Bill went up to bed to give Fleur and Gabrielle some time together before they both retired for the night.


	9. All the King's Men

Thank you everyone for your patience and I hope you don't hate me too much after this chapter. Please review!

Like always, we do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.

~Fleur~

Fleur and Gabrielle stayed up later than they should have. They talked as long as they could stay awake, saying they hadn't had a proper girl's night in a long time, and openly used this particular unspoken excuse that hung in the air. When the hour grew so late that the girls could barely keep their eyes open, they both retired to their respective rooms.

Fleur walked into the room to find Bill sitting up in bed, reading a book by the light of his wand. His wavy red hair was piled on top of his head, keeping the strands away from his book. She was always amused every time he wore his hair up like that before bed. It was endearing, to say the least. The white scars across his face was a stark difference in the rest of his complexion. A factor that had left him self-conscious in the presence of his part Veela wife. But the scars made him look slightly dangerous and mysterious; something that drove Fleur mad if she was honest with herself, but only because she knew Bill was the complete opposite of that in personality.

As Fleur entered the soft glow of the room, the sight made her pause, and she let out a satisfied sigh. Bill paused his reading and looked up to see his beautiful wife staring back at him. Fleur let out a soft giggle and sauntered over to the dresser and began dressing for bed.

"Did you have a good chat with your sister?" Bill asked, lowering his eyes back to his book, chancing an appreciative glance at her bum as she changed.

Fleur finished pulling on her silk teddy and glided back over to where Bill was sitting. "Yes, we did actually. Our time together was long overdue." Without missing a beat, Bill set his book down, keeping his wand lit, and began braiding Fleurs hair with precise movements. Every now and then, he would gently brush her shoulders with his fingers, or gently kiss the back of her neck. This had become a non-sexual routine for them every night, though it was in no way any less intimate.

"What did you talk about?" Bill asked, still working on the strands. A mischievous smile stole across his scarred face. "Wait let me guess. I might know this one."

Fleur scoffed at his sarcasm and replied, "You very well know what the preferred conversation was."

"Oh right, I knocked you up," Bill said playfully, wrapping his arms around her waist and giving her a gentle squeeze while his mouth lingered behind her ear. "How on earth could I have forgotten that? Oh wait, it's only been on my mind for the past two months."

A delighted laugh escaped Fleur as she turned halfway around in Bill's arms to capture his lips in hers. "I still can't believe it," Fleur said against Bill's mouth. Fleur could feel his smile beneath her lips and kissed him again.

"In all seriousness, I don't know how I could have gotten so lucky," Bill said quietly into her ear. He was slowly becoming a little more serious as the days went on. The cause of this she wasn't sure, but if she had to guess she would say it was because he was nervous about being a father more than he let on. That, or he had something else on his mind.

Fleur got up onto her knees and straddled Bill on the bed. "I'm all yours, my dear. And our baby is going to have the best father in the world." She kissed him passionately as his hands moved to her hips to help move her in an extremely sensuous and pleasurable way against him.

When they broke apart their kiss, Fleur stared into his eyes a bit before saying, "So. I think we have something to discuss."

Bill looked weary and somewhat disappointed of her sudden change in topic. "And that would be…?" He said in reply, his eyebrows coming together into a questioning look.

"Gabrielle and Jake." Fleur stated. "Or, more-so, Jake."

Bill's head which was previously tilted forward toward his wife fell back onto the headboard. "What is there to discuss? I thought our conversation with Gabrielle went pretty well."

"Something is bothering you more than you're letting on," Fleur stated matter-of-factly.

"Only what we've discussed previously, Love."

At this statement, Fleur narrowed her eyes accusatorily. No way was that the only thing on his mind. She knew her husband too well.

"You have theories," Fleur said.

"Theories? What in Merlin's name does that mean?" Bill wrinkled his nose in reply. Bingo. There was the sign that told Fleur she was right.

"I mean, who do you think Jake really is? Bill, I know you enough to know that you're not just satisfied with figuring out that he's hiding something. Plus, I'd like to know too because I am at a loss and I need to protect my sister." As Fleur explained, she had taken Bills hair from its tie and began running her fingers through it gently. His hair was well past his shoulders, but not surpassing her own.

He let out an exasperated sigh as if to admit defeat. "I don't know for sure. I have a few ideas I guess."

"Let's hear them."

"You're not going to like them."

"I don't care. Bill, you always follow your gut and it's usually right. I want to hear what you think."

A look of incredulous doubt swept over his face, one brow raised before he sighed again and continued. "Well, my first theory is that Jake is really a deranged psychopath."

Fleur flattened her lips. "And why is that?"

"Why else would you hide something? To become more appealing to someone else? Loads of people who are psychopaths would cater their personalities differently according to the people they are around."

Fleur nodded her head in understanding, "That's fairly believable. Though that could leave a few holes as to his behavior and those glamour spells you detected."

"Exactly. Which leads me to my second theory. He could be an Ex-Death Eater trying to escape persecution."

Again, Fleur nodded her head. "Go on." She urged.

"The political climate in the other countries at the moment would encourage any Ex-Death Eater to run for the hills. There were definitely Death Eaters posted in other countries, but not nearly as many in France. It could be a worthy hiding spot.

The thing is, Jake just turned up out of the blue and then started working at Bernie's apothecary. Which means Bernie trusts him."

"You're right." Fleur agreed. "I've known Bernie almost my whole life, and he wouldn't let just anyone work there."

Bill nodded his head, shifting his weight a bit to get into a more comfortable position with Fleur on top of him.

"And what's your third theory?" Fleur said, raising her eyebrows with an expectant smirk.

"What are you doing, reading my mind now?"

"No, you just have that look on your face."

Bill scoffed. "What look?" He laughed ominously as his hands crept up her back. "This one?"

At his comment, Bill had shifted his weight enough to completely maneuver their bodies so Fleur was now on the bottom and Bill was straddling her. The movement was so swift, it had taken Fleur entirely by surprise.

"Bill!" She exclaimed, barely able to get his name out before he kissed her. They broke apart their kiss and he swung his legs back over and rested on his side, facing her with a triumphant smile etched across his face and his hand gently resting on her side. Fleur settled back into the bed, facing her husband and expectant for an answer.

Bill let out a long sigh. "You're going to think I'm mad."

"Try me," Fleur said, somewhat breathless.

Bill pursed his lips together and paused briefly before saying aloud what was on his mind. "Now this sounds completely mental, but I think Jake might actually be…Harry Potter."

Fleur was silent for a moment, taking in this statement. She laughed nervously as though he had to be joking with her as he often did, but there was no humor in his eyes.

"Harry Potter? You're joking." Fleur said in response, unable to think of anything else to say to such a bizarre idea. Harry Potter was declared missing for months now, there is no possible way…

"Is it really that far fetched of an idea, though?" Bill said, raising his eyebrows. "Harry Potter disappeared eight to nine months ago. Around the exact same time that Jake suddenly appeared at the apothecary according to Bernie. Those glamour spells are only on the upper half of his body. Mainly on his hair, eyes, and forehead."

"Which could cover his black hair, green eyes, and scar," Fleur continued.

"Precisely. And not to mention his Patronus. I know he said it was a reindeer, but there's no bloody way that it was. Its nose was too pointed, and it looked exactly how I remembered from the war."

Fleur was astonished at all the evidence that was placed before her and absentmindedly stroked her belly that had yet to show. "Merlin's beard, Bill."

Bill nodded his understanding. "So, not such a crazy theory after all?"

"No, not at all," Fleur said, shaking her head with wide eyes. "I think you might be right. It makes the most sense."

Bill reached for her braid and began threading it through his fingers absentmindedly. "I'm going to start keeping a closer eye on him."

"As will I. Hopefully, we'll find out soon after our conversation with Gabrielle this evening," Fleur stated.

"We'll know when the time comes, my Love," Bill whispered as he gently kissed her temple.

~Harry~

The days seemed to pass with agonizing slowness as Harry tried desperately to prepare himself to come clean with Gabrielle. One day turned into a week, and one week turned into two. And the entire time, Gabrielle seemed to know something was amiss. He noticed that she would often open up their conversations to the point where he could have sworn that she was dropping hints to tell her something. This fact alone made him so uneasy, he often second-guessed himself and didn't tell her anything.

One evening, in particular, he had invited her to his apartment for supper after their respective working hours. They were alone together and with no one to interrupt the solitude of his flat. While they ate, they made small talk for a bit before Gabrielle started asking oddly specific questions. Questions that Harry wasn't even sure he would be able to answer.

"So, what can you tell me about Durmstrang?" Gabrielle said, leaning in a bit over her plate with a questioning and curious gaze. "I'm sure it was completely different from Beaxbatons."

"Uhm, what would you like to know?" Harry stammered a bit, lowering his eyes to his food without quite meeting hers.

There was really only one fact about that school that he knew about for sure, from past conversations with Victor Krum and even then, it wasn't anything substantial. For a brief second, he thought about telling her everything. For the millionth time that week. And once again images of his friends, family, Ginny, and the Wizarding World at his feet flashed before his eyes. And once again, he disappointed himself by lying. Again.

"Well, the only thing I really remember was the entryway that bore Grindelwald's sign." _The only thing I remember from my and Victor's conversation that is._

This statement gave Gabrielle pause, and she looked oddly surprised at his comment. "Oh really? What was that? I wasn't aware he had a sign."

"Yeah it was a rune that we later found out was the sign for the Deathly Hallows," Harry said uncertainly.

"What does that look like?" Gabrielle asked, curiosity taking over her.

Still uncomfortable with the topic at hand, he asked if she knew about the tale of the three brothers (of course she did) and he drew the symbol he knew so well. The one that Hermione had spent countless hours trying to decipher.

"The Elder Wand, The Resurrection Stone, and The Cloak of Invisibility. All three make you the Master of Death." Harry chanced a look at her face and saw her transfixed expression. "Grindelwald's motto was.."

"For the Greater Good." Gabrielle finished for him. "We learned extensively about Dumbledore's defeat of Grindelwald during the first Wizarding War."

"That's right," Harry said nodding his head. "For the Greater Good."

"So, what did Grindelwald have to do with this symbol of these Deathly Hallows?" Gabrielle inquired.

"Apparently he had the Elder Wand," Harry said, treading into even more dangerous waters than he was already in. He tried to change the subject. "It's purely speculation." Harry nearly mumbled as he gripped the Elder Wand in his hand a bit tighter, holding it to him like a long-lost family heirloom within the sleeve of his robe.

Gabrielle noticed this small shift in his body language and narrowed her eyes, deciding to discontinue their conversation.

The next few weeks to pass were torturous for both of them. Even Bernie began to notice Harry's shift in mood, although he had a whole other reason to be upset.

"Harry, you're a total fuck up."

"Bernie, please I'm not a fuck up. Not entirely."

"Oh, so you're just a fuck boy then? My mistake." Bernie had been going through his own mood swings, although Harry just marked it up to his old man bitterness. "You know I had Bill come in here asking questions, right? Was asking things such as when you arrived at my shop and how we know each other. The only reason I was able to cover for you is that I fucking know everyone."

"I appreciate you covering for me, Bernie."

"Then ACT like it." Bernie had slammed his fist on the counter for emphasis. "You need to tell her the truth! And now you've got Bill on your hide, too!"

Harry had never really seen Bernie truly angry, but he could tell he was getting close to his breaking point.

"Bernie I've tried! For weeks now!" Harry nearly bellowed showing the panic he felt on the inside for the first time. "I don't know what to do."

Bernie stopped what he was doing for a moment and looked Harry up and down as he made his way over to him. "You want some advice? Here you go." Bernie put down the vial he was carrying and pointed to the plant shop from across the street. His voice was dangerously quiet. "Go take your nonexistent pathetic excuse for your balls, go plant them in a fucking planter, and maybe you'll actually GROW A PAIR."

"Bernie, please." Harry began. "I really do need some sort of help. I know I've been a coward. Trust me I know! Every single opportunity I have had to tell her I back down, and I don't know why."

"Do you love her?"

"What?" Harry said, taken aback at his question. That seemed to be happening a lot lately. "I..I don't..know."

"Don't fuck with me now boy. Do you love her?" Bernie said, crossing his arms.

Harry honestly didn't know what to say. They had only been dating for about a month at this point, so it was too early to tell. They had known each other for much longer (and even longer than that in Harry's eyes) but he couldn't be sure. The thought of loving someone else scared him. He definitely liked her, but love…maybe he did without realizing…

The air seemed too heavy to Bernie, and he broke the silence surrounding Harry's thoughts. "Whatever you think about her, no one deserves to be lied to. I think you of all people would understand that after losing your godfather."

Harry turned to meet Bernie's face squarely with his own, his eyes widened, and a gobsmacked expression gracing his features as he did so. "How?.." Harry stammered. By the time any other words came out, Bernie had disappeared in the back room.

~oOo~

Another month and a half had passed before Harry's nerves were completely stripped. He had hoped that waiting until this point would help him not to care as much about his own feelings and concentrate on Gabrielle's. Although a new strand of worry seemed to leak into his brain at his own expense. She was growing more suspicious by the day, and Harry could tell. He didn't know what she was wary about nor the cause, but her wariness was becoming a more significant concern and cause for his guilt.

Harry finally had enough time off from the Apothecary to have dinner with her family again, minus Fleur and Bill. The dinner was immaculate as always and conversation easily filtered through the air. He got along quite well with the Delacour family, and this greatly pleased Harry. They didn't seem too suspicious about him other than throwing a questioning look at Gabrielle's behavior every now and then.

Before long, Pierre piped up addressing Harry. "Now Jake, we won't be able to have supper like this for a while, but I would like to extend another offer to you." Pierre wiped his mouth with his napkin and set it in his lap before continuing. "You always seem to be well informed and have noble opinions about the matters we discuss here. How would you like to come to an official French Ministry meeting? It's open to the public, and there will be a Q and A session afterward."

Harry didn't quite know what to say. "Of course, I would love to go. What will be discussed?"

"Great!" Pierre said, clapping his hands together enthusiastically. "Bernie said you might enjoy tagging along. It's really just addressing the concerns of the French citizens about what's been happening across the world." Pierre turned to his wife and chuckled as though the mere thought was exhausting. "Although at this point it hasn't quite affected us as much as the others, thank Merlin. But if the trend continues, it definitely will. Which is why I've been asked to address the public's concerns and hold an informal informational meeting."

 _Why in the world would Bernie want me to go to something like this?_ Regardless, he did want to appeal more to Gabrielle's parents, and this indeed was a way to do so. Not to mention that he could get more inside information on the situation at hand.

"Well, I am glad he made the recommendation. I would be honored to attend."

~oOo~

A week later, the day for the Q and A meeting at the French ministry had arrived. They walked and apparated together as a group, Gabrielle at Harry's side and Apolline and Pierre walking hand in hand. Gabrielle and Harry stayed behind a bit and met up with Fleur and Bill just outside of the Ministry.

The entrance to the French Ministry was unlike anything Harry had ever seen before. Upon entry, a large, sparkling dome made of glass and delicate stained-glass windows surrounded the entire atrium. While the Ministry of Magic in Britain had tall ceilings with multiple offices and rooms that you could see from below and the lower level lined with the floo network, this place was immaculately clean and organized. A great elevator, similar to the ones that Harry was used to, lined the middle of the open area in the middle and left the entire room feeling like a massive, magical bubble.

Their coats and pockets were checked as well as their wands. Harry almost turned around and left the scene altogether when they came to this portion of the security check. Would they cast a diagnostic spell to see every single spell that wand had ever cast? Ever? The Elder Wand? Would they cast one on him and reveal his glamour spells in front of the entire French ministry?

Fortunately, after Fleur and Bill passed through this particular section of security, the diagnostic spell performed by the workers simply found the ingredients that made up the wand and then attached a tracker to it for the duration of the Ministry visit. Any spell he cast within the walls of the Ministry would be known to all. This particular fact did not bother Harry, and he was quite curious to know what actually made up the different components of this wand. He hoped it wouldn't be a dead giveaway as to what it was.

"Wand." The guard said as Harry slid up the line next to Gabrielle. He reluctantly handed his wand over, and he saw the diagnostics run and begin spewing out the end of his wand in a mixture of colorful runes.

The guard appeared bored until suddenly he squinted slightly. He began to observe the runes with more vigor before calling another guard over to make sure he was translating the encryption correctly.

"Is everything alright, Sir?" Harry asked, growing worried.

"Yes, yes everything is fine. Your wand just has some very mysterious properties is all. It must be one of a kind." He said scratching his head. The other guards began to filter over to get a closer look.

"Yeah, it sure is," Harry said, trying to take his wand back into his possession.

The guards continued to stare in disbelief for what felt like an eternity before they finally ordered their Quick Quotes Quill to write the information down and apply the tracker themselves.

"Well, Sir, your Elder wood and Thesteral Hair Core wand is ready for retrieval at the next window. Your wand is now tracked, and we will be notified of every spell you cast within these walls. Have I made myself clear?"

The guard finished his routine speech, one he had done a million times before. Harry replied his understanding, retrieved his wand, and found Gabrielle, Fleur, and Bill who were waiting for him at the end of the line. Harry could see the guards with their heads together and looking in his general direction as he walked away.

"Merlin's Beard Jake, what took so long?" Bill asked as he approached the group.

"They found something interesting with my wand. Not a problem though." Harry replied. He could see Bill trying to sneak a peek at the diagnostic paper given to him, but Harry hastily stuffed it into his pockets before Bill could have a proper look.

They maneuvered around many different spiral staircases and elevators, taking in all the different rooms and departments. Many of the departments were similar to the British Ministry's, but that fact did not surprise Harry. What did surprise him was that even though the French Ministry was exceptionally well planned and pristine, you could still easily get yourself lost. At least in Britain, everything was out in the open or organized by floors in numerical order.

Finally, the group came to the public auditorium. It wasn't quite like the courtroom Harry had sat in his fifth year as it was much brighter and more welcoming. However, the chairs at the head of the room seemed a bit out of place as if this room was used for a multitude of different events.

Fleur found Apolline sitting by herself near the back of the auditorium, and they filed into the seats beside her. Fleur hugged her mother appreciatively, and they all talked comfortably until more people began to filter into the room.

The crowds were beginning to make Harry feel nervous again. For what reason, he didn't know. Possibly memories of sitting in auditoriums very similar to this and participating in his own Q and A of the war? It definitely seemed most likely.

The time came for the official meeting to begin, and Pierre stepped out with a dozen or so other wizards. Harry guessed this would have been the equivalent of the Wizengomet from Britain, though not as many people. They were all wearing long, brightly colored robes of varying colors and badges indicating who they were. Some were wearing traditional pointed hats, and some of the sleeves of their robes dragged on the floor as they walked.

The chatter from the civilians died down almost instantly when they entered the room, and Harry could see Aurors posted throughout the auditorium. Harry felt a sense of loss as he stared at them, knowing that being an Auror was something he had given up. He never given much thought to it in his own seclusion, but seeing it in person was completely different.

"We will now begin." Pierre turned to a wizard with a Quick Quotes Quill, whispered the date and location of the meeting, and briefly opened his arms in welcome as he addressed the room.

"First of all, welcome to everyone who took the time out of their busy days to come to our informal meeting today. I sincerely hope we can shed some light on the situation at hand with some of our discussions. I simply ask that we save our questions for the designated time after the informative meeting," Pierre smiled openly and then turned to a stern looking wizard sitting three chairs down from him. "At this time, I would like to invite the French director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He will be doing most of the talking this evening and providing the most information today, along with another one of our senior members. Please welcome, Executive Morrigan."

Polite applause filled the room as Executive Morrigan made his way to the podium, bearing various papers.

"Thank you all, and now to business." Morrigan glanced down to his papers, cleared his throat, and began addressing the crowd. "First off, for those of you who do not know, I am executive Morrigan, and I am in charge of the communications among all the ministries in our great world and the lead international contact for France. I do have information today regarding the occurrences and concerns that have brought us together." Morrigan took in a deep breath as if to sigh, but held it in as if to prepare himself instead. Harry knew that feeling all too well. Not to mention, he recognized Mr. Morrigan from various meetings he attended himself as Harry Potter.

"So far, I have been in direct contact with our surrounding countries including those that were intimately involved in the last Wizarding war. After speaking with the executives, I have confirmed that there seems to be some disquiet that has been fogging the minds of our good standing citizens. The reason for this disquiet is still greatly unknown in many ways. However, we are aware that there have been numerous deaths in relation to the raids being conducted within each country's ministries in our attempts to capture anyone who was affiliated with You-Know-Who, Death Eater or not. One of those being Harry Potter, who was known worldwide and whose whereabouts are still unknown.

The main concern we have been made aware of is the fear that another one of You-Know-Who's followers will continue in his footsteps and continue the killings. Approximately ten months ago was the disappearance of Harry Potter. And shortly after was the beginning of the numerous deaths of our brave Aurors. In total, we have lost three Aurors in France. The number grows if we add the rest of the world to the mix."

Executive Morrigan shifted some papers around and continued. Harry immediately felt sick to his stomach and sat as frozen as a statue, unable to fully process what was being discussed.

"According to my contact in the Austria-Hungary region, they had the first recorded Auror death after the disappearance of Harry Potter. The number count is up to seven Aurors in the region and three civilians."

The room was dead silent, save for a few sniffles from the front of the crowd. No one had been informed that civilians were part of the head count yet, so the news was shocking to everyone in attendance.

Gabrielle glanced over to Harry and her eyebrows knit together with concern. She reached for his hand, and when he didn't respond, she placed it soothingly on his knee. Harry couldn't even look in her direction and continued his staring up to Morrigan as if it were the last thing he would ever do. Gabrielle reluctantly removed her hand and put it in her lap, concern lining her face as she turned to the front once again.

"The next occurrence was in the Romanian-Bulgarian region. Currently, the number of deaths runs five Aurors and two civilians. From there, the deaths begin in this order: Russia, Germany, France, and England. Spain and Ireland remain untouched at the present time."

The room fell deadly silent again, and the air turned cold at the mention of France. Harry's blood ran cold at the thought of who he knew might have died back in London. One of his Aurors no doubt. It couldn't be Ron, Bill would have told them.

Executive Morrigan shuffled his papers and took his seat. At that moment, Pierre stood up again and motioned for another member of the head table to take the stand. This particular witch had long, flowing brown hair and walked with her nose in the air. She seemed very young to be in an executive position, but she carried herself powerfully, and it showed.

"Hello everyone, I am Executive Leflore, and I am the lead contact in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Unfortunately, I do not have as much information as Executive Morrigan but what I do have for you today is no less critical.

We still have no information on who is responsible for these attacks. Our Aurors have been working tirelessly within our department and with other ministries as well to try and locate Harry Potter. If he is somehow alive, it is possible we could find out who has been killing our fellow witches and wizards."

Harry didn't know how much more of this he could take. What had he done to the world?

Executive Leflore continued, "At this point in time, we have no idea if this is the act of one person, multiple people, or any affiliations they may have. These deaths could have nothing to do with each other, or they could all be related. If you, a family member, or friend has any idea as to who or what is the cause of these attacks, please contact any Auror via owl or in person through the floo network."

Executive Leflore abruptly took her seat in the same manner as before. Pierre stood once again and began speaking himself.

"Now a word from your minister," Pierre said, smiling gravely. Apolline sat a bit straighter in her seat when her husband stood to begin his part. "I see it as my duty to dispel any false information that has been running amok in our great nation. That being said, I have always taken great pride in how our ministry has handled crisis. We stood together admirably with each other and with our allies during the last wizarding war, and we shall do so again."

Pierre took a chance look to his wife sitting in the back, who nodded slightly in encouragement. Apolline's face was fierce, and Harry could tell she was almost holding her breath at Pierre's next words.

"That being said, some disturbing information has reached our headquarters in the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. I have been told that many witches and wizards have begun to feel they need to take the law into their own hands by trying to hunt down whoever or whatever is posing this threat to our world. The main target being pureblood families."

There was a flurry of whispering with some of the people in the auditorium and Pierre continued, "Now this is not something I take lightly, because this way of thinking will put us back exactly how we were when You-Know-Who was returning to power. We must stand together and trust each other and trust our Aurors. I promise, as the Minister of Magic for France that we keep very detailed records in our Auror office and we are doing everything within our power to put anyone affiliated with You-Know-Who behind bars.

At this time, I would like to personally address any concerns and questions you may have regarding the matter at hand."

The air in the room seemed to shift as everyone seemed to let out a collective breath and a few people stood up to ask their question, most of them being reporters. Pierre motioned to a robust wizard near the front of the crowd. The man's pointed hat gave him the appearance of being at least a foot taller, but really only added to his short stature. He cleared his throat and asked, "Are all Ex-Death Eaters accounted for from the war?"

Pierre nodded his head before answering, "The Ministry has tried their best to search for and apprehend all witches and wizards who were affiliated with You-Know-Who. We kept extensive records of those who were acting under the Imperius Curse and anyone who was branded with the Dark Mark. We even created a link to find other Death Eaters through those who had defected. We have put forth every one of our resources to ensure that everyone has been captured or accounted for."

The next question came from a witch that reminded Harry of Rita Skeeter, and her Quick Quotes Quill hovering just inches from her nose as she posed her question.

"How do we know for sure that these attacks on our Aurors aren't coming from 'defected' Death Eaters?" The witch said, emphasizing her question with her own use of quotations with her hands.

"An excellent question, one which I do not believe has been publicly addressed as of yet." Pierre began. "I can ensure that worldwide, starting in the British Ministry with Minister Kingsley Shackelbolt, that any Death Eater who has defected has undergone extensive interrogations using every means available to the ministry. This has been implemented throughout every Magical Ministry and has been uniform in its decisions to pardon anyone who came forward to defect and give information. They would not be pardoned unless we knew One Hundred Percent that they were not truly defected."

The people in the crowd began talking a bit amongst themselves at this statement, although no one seemed surprised. Harry wasn't surprised in the least as he had helped write that particular law in the Auror office back in London with Kingsley.

Pierre addressed the room once again, "We have time for a few more questions."

A petite witch stood and demanded, "How many casualties are expected if whoever is responsible for these attacks is not caught within the month?"

"At the current time, I am unable to accurately give you an answer. The deaths have been sporadic and seem to be moving steadily from country to country with no specific origin other than what Executive Morrigan told us. I do not want to leave you with false information and therefore, will refrain from answering."

The witch sat down and was replaced with another witch who was very visibly pregnant. "Last question, please," Pierre said, beckoning to the pregnant witch.

"Hello, my name is Laura Rossin. My husband was an Auror here at the French ministry. He was killed on duty on one of the raids he was conducting in the search for Harry Potter. He just found out I was pregnant the day before he was killed. Minister, please, what is going to be done to protect our Aurors if this threat is invisible? And who will be taking care of the families affected? I lost my husband after believing our world was safe again," She took out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, unable to continue.

Harry couldn't listen anymore. He lowered his head into his hands and barely listened to the rest of Pierre's answer to the young mother. His head was spinning, and he didn't want to risk getting sick.

"I apologize to you and your family on behalf of everyone here at the ministry. Your husband was a noble man and a fearless leader. We are almost positive that this threat is the works of a person and not of a magical creature of some sort. We have changed our regulations and put a stop to sending Aurors on raids by themselves. We hope that the power of numbers will give them an advantage.

To address your second question, because your husband's death was in direct correlation with the search for Harry Potter, the ministry has decided…"

Harry couldn't listen to the rest of the conversation. He was nearly on the verge of tears and breaking down from the crushing guilt he felt, knowing that he was the cause of yet another death. He was the cause of another child growing up fatherless in a world that kept taking and rarely gave anything back. He was the cause of another broken family.

People began standing up, but Harry hardly noticed the movement until he felt a gentle hand on his back.

"Hey Jake, everyone is leaving," Gabrielle whispered, kneeling down next to him to try and get a better look of his face without being too invasive.

Apolline was speaking with Fleur, discussing how worried she had been about this meeting, but was happily surprised with how well it went. "I'm just glad your father is feeling better now. This morning I wasn't so sure."

Bill stood to the side, his eyes trained on Harry as Gabrielle whispered to him.

Harry braced himself and raised his head. He first looked to Gabrielle, who smiled at him nervously, and then he stood up in one fluid motion. Harry didn't say a word. His facial expressions remained neutral, if somewhat pained, and he followed Gabrielle with his hands in his pockets. Apolline bid them farewell and went to find Pierre in his office. Bill and Fleur accompanied them to the outside of the ministry and apparated the group back to Delacour manor.

Harry continued to sit in silence and did not contribute to any part of the conversation. He was still trying to gather his emotions and keep them neat and tidy in the box in his mind. The only problem was that this box was now so full it was overflowing and filling even more rapidly that he couldn't keep it contained. He was going to break. And soon.

He barely registered what Gabrielle and Fleur were talking about when he interrupted them mid-sentence and said, "I think I'm going to turn in. I'm not feeling the greatest."

Gabrielle and Fleur turned their heads toward each other and exchanged looks full of worry and concern. "How about I come with you just to make sure you're all right?" Gabrielle offered, turning to Fleur momentarily as the words tumbled from her mouth. Fleur nodded in agreement and sent them on their way.

As soon as Harry's foot hit the porch and began carrying him across the path of the gardens, he could feel the familiar sting of tears in his eyes. He knew what was about to happen. He hated being vulnerable like this, especially in front of Gabrielle. But in all honesty, he would have preferred it this way. Because having her walking beside him was a strange sort of comfort to him.

He still didn't say a word, and quietly walked with his hands in his pockets while staring at the ground. Gabrielle would frequently turn to him and glance at his face, trying to feel out what was going on in his head. She was worried about him. She had never seen him like this before, and she had to wonder what was said that caused such a reaction in him. He had barely spoken a word since they left the ministry.

When they reached the outskirts of the property, Harry reached out and promptly took hold of her arm as he apparated them to his flat. Without missing a beat or glancing to see if Gabrielle was keeping up, he continued his stride and let himself in. Gabrielle kept her distance, her worry growing stronger with every step she took.

Harry stepped into his apartment without lighting anything and abruptly stopped in the middle of the living area. He hung his head down and closed his eyes as tight as he could until he saw stars. The tears began leaking out as the true weight of his guilt finally hit him. After months and months of trying not to think of the lives he had ruined, only to find out that his choice had made everything worse was crushing. His hands laid loosely at his side, and he felt Gabrielle's presence behind him. Her soft footsteps halted at the entrance of the door, and she was staring at him standing in the middle of his dark room. He didn't care though.

Harry couldn't hold it in anymore. He tried opening his eyes but couldn't see anything through the haze of tears. He tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath but only deepened his pain and guilt by letting out a silent sob. His shoulders shook gently, his head still hanging low and his tears streaming down freely.

From what felt like miles away, Harry heard the door close softly behind him and then suddenly, Gabrielle was beside him. As soon as he felt her, he looked up. She was obviously worried and tried to comfort him by resting her hand on his shoulder. Harry responded to her touch, needing someone to anchor him down to reality again. He grabbed on to her almost desperately and looked up at that moment, directly into her eyes.

He stared into her kind, blue eyes before finally breaking the silence. "It's all my fault."

Gabrielle's concern grew as he collapsed in front of her, obviously broken. Harry was grateful for her presence more than ever as he let himself cry and think of all the things he forced himself to try and forget without realizing he was making a mantra of saying "It's all my fault" into Gabrielle's shoulder.

He remembered his friends and his love for them and how much he missed them, all the people that died for him in the final battle, his life he once had. And now he cried for the life he had now. One where people still lived in fear of a threat that continued to kill their families. One that specifically started after his disappearance. One that already caused the deaths of innocent people searching for him.

Gabrielle let him cry. Harry felt her wipe his tears every now and then with her robes, but she simply held him. He couldn't accurately pinpoint when they had lowered to the floor, but it had happened. And the whole time, he clung to her desperately. She was one of the few good things he had right now.

And he didn't deserve her. He had lied to her and was lying to her still. And it couldn't continue.

After what seemed like ages, Harry steadied his breathing as much as he could. His head was pressed into her shoulder, and his grip on the back of her robes loosened considerably. She continued to hold onto him, gently stroking his hair.

When Harry felt he could speak without his voice shaking he broke the silence.

"Gabrielle, I need to tell you something."


	10. Betrayal

Authors note: Hello again! Sorry for the long wait on the posting of this chapter. There were just a few things I couldn't get right and seeing as this is a very important chapter, I wanted everything to flow smoothly and make sense. It's pretty information heavy.

That being said, I know there has been some frustration and confusion regarding some of Harry's reactions. I promise that all of Harry's reactions and everything he hears is relevant and will become important later on in the story, so please be patient. All good things to those who wait.

Now after this posting, since we don't have a BETA, I really want to go back and edit chapter's 1-4, so it may take a little longer to post the next chapter. I will reupload those chapters after their edits are made and then move on with the story.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and DM'd us! We appreciate the reviews and have gotten some awesome feedback. Keep reviewing!

And now the moment you've all been waiting for!

We do not own Harry Potter. All rights belong to J.K. Rowling.

~oOo~

"Gabrielle, I have to tell you something." Harry almost whispered into the air.

Gabrielle drew back a bit to get a better look at his face, concern and worry etching her features as she took in his haunted gaze. "What is it, Jake?" she asked.

Harry drew in a deep, shuddering breath as he calmed himself. The calm before the storm.

He was beginning to feel slightly ashamed for his breakdown as the seconds passed. He had not meant to show how upset he truly was, let alone cry in front of Gabrielle. Come to think of it, the only time he really broke down was in front of Hermione when they visited Godric's Hollow, and he saw his parent's graves for the first time.

He pushed aside his uncomfortable feelings and spoke again. "Before I tell you anything, please, please understand that I never intended to hurt you. I really, truly care about you, and I hope you can understand that betraying you or hurting you are the farthest things from my mind."

Alarm shrouded her eyes, and she leaned back even further her eyebrows furrowing. "Jake, what are you.."

"Please, just let me explain." Harry interrupted, feeling his heart flutter in panic again. "I...I just...I don't even know where to begin."

Silence followed his statement and Gabrielle was so still it didn't even appear that she was breathing.

When Harry spoke again, his voice was painstakingly quiet. "I've lied to you, Gabrielle."

Her brows remained furrowed, and she didn't make a sound. The seconds that passed felt like hours until she finally leaned back, sighed cautiously, glanced around the room with a look that told Harry her worst fears had been confirmed, stood up, and gracefully walked over to his small dining table. She sat herself down and silently demanded an explanation with her expression alone.

She didn't look angry per se, just expectant. Waiting for him to speak again.

Harry slowly rose from his spot on the ground, noticing how the difference in movement rustled the dust around him. He focused on it, trying to find something, anything to ground him into this moment. Into reality. He took a reluctant seat across from her, failing to meet her eyes. He hung his head low and crossed his fingers together.

Harry was desperately trying to think of the best way to come about this moment. Even with all the extra weeks he had to prepare to make the blow as painless as possible, he had concluded that there was no way in hell this would be painless. Which was probably why it had been so hard for him to tell her in the first place. He knew he was going to hurt her. And risk her telling everyone she knew that he was still alive and consequently blow his cover and everything he's worked for in this new life he'd built for himself.

Her voice filled the air after she watched him struggle with his thoughts for a bit. "Is this why you've been casting Glamour spells on yourself?"

Harry's breath stilled, and he froze entirely. His eyes widened in shock as he processed her words and after a brief pause, he breathed out, "How did you...?"

"Bill told me," Gabrielle said gravely. "He and Fleur confronted me about a month and a half ago about the glamour spells they detected. Bill is a curse breaker after all. It's his job to detect those kinds of things."

Harry's mind started racing, panic etching over his features and stealing over internally _. How long had they known? Does he know who he really is? He must have really underestimated Bill if he was able to detect glamours cast by the elder wand. It still leaves a trail though, how else would it have been tracked after all the death it's caused?_

Harry's breathing became labored, and he covered his face in his hands as he asked, "What exactly did Bill say?"

Gabrielle, in an attempt to calm him, reached out and gently touched his arm. He lowered his hands and looked at her in bewilderment. He blinked a few times as he took in her stern expression, but still detected no traces of anger.

"They told me where they detected the glamours, how to look for them so I could confirm for myself, and to hear you out when you finally decided to tell me," Gabrielle said. "Though be warned, I do not take being lied to lightly, Jake."

Silence followed as Harry tried to control his breathing again. This was one of the most challenging things he'd had to do in a very long time; almost on par since he decided to leave his old life and start anew. And the most difficult part of this whole situation is that he would lose her and end up alone again. He knew there was more to life than just her, but it certainly made life more enjoyable to have someone there who cared for him and liked him for who he was as a person and not because he was The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Gabrielle remained patient as he gathered his thoughts, and surprised him even further when she gently took his hand in hers. The churning in his belly momentarily stood still, and he took the opportunity of clarity to begin his tale.

"Gabrielle, I'm afraid," Harry said. He took a deep breath and continued without meeting her eyes. "I just wanted to start over. I was so tired. I was tired of continually trying to live up to everyone's expectations. I wasn't just someone everyone knew like Celestina Warbeck or even Gilderoy Lockhart. Anyone who saw me looked at me like a god. And if something didn't go as planned, the press and the public were relentless for months. When everyone looks to you for guidance and advice and to change their world, and you only just started to do something worth-while in your life, it can be a very lonely place. Even what I was doing before, I can't fully take credit for, because I had a shoo-in with the minister and it's what the country wanted.

I'm afraid because everyone I was close to seemed to hate me. I knew they didn't, but with every retelling of our story, they became less important. I eventually had a falling out with my best friend, and nothing had ever quite been the same."

Gabrielle's face remained neutral and stern during his retelling. Harry could not discern her expression as she listened, and he was trying to tell her as much as he could before he lifted the charms from himself. She remained silent.

"And because of this," Harry's voice faltered slightly. "I hope you can find it within you to forgive me. Forgive me for lying to you, and forgive me for betraying your trust. Because I'm afraid to lose you."

Harry whispered this last statement while he gently squeezed her hand in his grip. After a moment he slowly removed his hands from hers, took out the Elder Wand, and gave it to Gabrielle. Her brows furrowed more in confusion as she took the wand from him.

"I want you to cast a Finite Incantatem," Harry said. "And no matter what happens, know that I understand if you don't want to be with me anymore. And know that I will always care for you."

At this, Harry remained silent and stared into her beautiful, crystal blue eyes as he waited for her spell. Her silence during his brief explanation made him nervous and uncomfortable. Now the ball was in her court, and he was at her mercy.

Gabrielle stared at the wand that was gripped in her hand. Her movements were precise, but she was breathing a little faster than usual in anticipation of what was about to happen.

Her eyes gradually left the wand and met Harry's. Harry locked onto her gaze as their eyes met and didn't look away as she gracefully raised his wand.

She took her time and examined his features, no doubt trying to detect where his glamours were one final time.

And then he heard it. Her softly spoken Finite Incantatem.

Harry felt the familiar tingle of magic as the glamour spells were lifted. He felt his eyes prickle for a second, his hair grow shorter and messier, and a faint tingle on his forehead signaling that his scar had appeared again.

Harry heard a soft intake of breath from Gabrielle as she took in his changing appearance. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. She immediately sat up straighter in her chair as though she were about to stand up and run away, her whole body tense.

Harry shifted uncomfortably, hoping against hope that she wouldn't freak out.

"H…Harry Potter?" She said, unable to take her eyes away from him. "But...I thought…"

"I know, it's so messed up," Harry replied before she could say anything more. "Please, just let me explain." Harry went to reach for her hands again, but she withdrew.

"Explain then," Gabrielle said forcefully as she looked at him in disbelief.

Harry cleared his throat and gulped to try and relieve the sudden dryness. "I faked my own death during one of our Death Eater raids." He paused briefly to process her facial expressions before continuing. She gave him no sign of understanding. Just shock and disbelief with a slight tinge of anger.

"I had a major falling out with Ron, and nothing was ever the same again. Hermione was treating me different too. I felt more like a burden to the Weasley family every time I visited, and I was just a constant reminder of the war and the people we'd lost. With everyone. The original order members could only think of my parents when they looked at me as well as everyone else who died this time around.

The Ministry was an entirely different situation too. I was pushed through and became head of the Auror office by recommendation by Kingsley Shacklebolt alone, not by any real effort I put forth. And the entire country expected me to rebuild the ministry from the ground up with Kingsley while simultaneously becoming the poster boy for the new world without Voldemort. The working days were excruciating, and my relationship with Ginny failed because of it. I just wanted to live my life without someone recognizing me as their savior and to finally earn something on my own without being a burden to everyone."

As Harry finished this explanation as best he could, Gabrielle's brows furrowed together even further. Her look of confusion only sent Harry's pounding heart into more of a frenzy.

After a moment, Gabrielle abruptly stood up from her chair. "You've put our family through hell." She said with clenched fists. Her eyes grew dark, and if Harry was not mistaken, her hair was not as shiny as it usually was. Did it turn almost gray? "Do I even know who you are?"

Harry, in an attempt to plead for her understanding, brought his hands together and said, "Gabrielle, please believe me when I say I have tried to tell you as much of the truth as I could. I admit I lied to you about my name, appearance, and school. Everything else I either told you the truth, changed the subject or didn't answer."

Gabrielle scoffed, "Oh and that makes it better?" She moved her hands to her hips, and Harry stood up to be on the same level. "How many opportunities have you had to tell me? What do I even call you now?"

Panic setting in, Harry answered her immediate question. "You can call me Harry in private but please, don't tell anyone. If anyone else found out about this…"

"Yeah, I get it," Gabrielle said matter-of-factly. She let out an exasperated breath. "I don't even know what to think right now." She turned from him, her hands above her head and her eyes leaving him to stare up to the ceiling in disbelief.

Harry kept his distance. "Gabrielle, I'm so sorry."

At his words, she turned around to face him and after a moment, said, "I have to go." She checked herself to make sure her belongings were all with her, took out her wand, and began walking to the door.

"Gabrielle," Harry said, feeling the dread well up in his chest. "Don't tell anyone."

Gabrielle paused with her hand on the doorknob and looked back to him. She was definitely upset and confused. She went to answer, closed her mouth, opened it again and said, "Just give me some time."

~Gabrielle~

As soon as Gabrielle closed the door and she heard the faint click of the latch, she leaned against the frame for support. Her mind was whirring so fast she couldn't even think straight, let alone process any kind of emotions or coherent thoughts.

She had apparated back to the mansion as quickly as she could and immediately sought the comfort of her bedroom.

She started pacing to keep her mind and her body busy. She was on the verge of tears; she was so angry and shaking. She felt betrayed.

Her trust for Jake had all but dissipated after she found out that he didn't even exist. Jake; her boyfriend. Her boyfriend who didn't exist and was replaced by Harry Freaking Potter.

Harry Potter; the savior of the Wizarding World who disappeared in a freak British Ministry raid accident.

The worst part about this was that she was really beginning to fall for Jake, and now her trust was utterly obliterated. Part of her wondered what she did to deserve being lied to like this, and stopped to examine herself in the mirror.

While her Veela appeal wasn't always as active as her sisters, she could still clearly see her part Veela heritage when she was upset or angry. Her skin and hair had darkened to an almost gray color, her hair had begun to stick to her shoulders unnaturally, and her nose seemed elongated; no doubt resembling the tell-tale beak.

She always hated seeing herself like this and steadied her breathing with some deep breaths.

Her features slowly turned back to the way they were after she cleared her mind; a trick she had learned through a few occlumency lessons at Beauxbatons.

After calming herself, she tried to reevaluate the situation: Harry Potter was alive, and she was apparently dating him as Jake Meier, who she was previously falling in love with. Now she didn't know who was who, what the actual truth was, or who to believe or trust. He had asked her not to tell anyone and a secret this big would turn the Wizarding World upside down.

She couldn't process any of her emotions properly and settled on one feeling that she could definitely grasp onto: betrayed. Betrayed and confused.

She latched onto these feelings and tried to understand where he was coming from, but she just couldn't. Maybe after a few days, she would be calm enough to grasp some kind of understanding. However, at the moment she wanted to pull her hair out.

A plethora of different words raced through her mind, some of them being selfish, betrayal, lies, and WHO THE ACTUAL FUCK AM I DATING?!

A strangled growl of frustration ripped through her throat. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep or even think straight that night and resigned to laying down in her bed as she desperately tried to organize her thoughts.

A cloud of dread seemed to cover her like a blanket. This was going to be one grueling process.

~Harry~

The next few days for Harry were agony. He couldn't stop thinking of Gabrielle, and her disappointed face seemed to haunt his mind for the days to come. After the weekend had ended and Harry went back to work, he still had not spoken to her. The passing days really worried him, but there really wasn't much he could do now except wait for her to contact him, or the press to find him.

Despite having work to distract him, Harry was definitely quieter than usual; and he could sense it. After his morning potions session with Bernie (By this point, they had moved on to some more advanced potions work), he returned to the front desk to help with customers.

Nothing terribly exciting happened, and the customers were few and far between. Eventually, Bernie came out and placed another potion vial in front of Harry.

"Look alive," Bernie said, gently pushing the vial in Harry's direction. "You need to take that to Minister Delacour for me by the end of today. He's feeling under the weather again."

Harry barely moved his head to give a blank stare at the vial set before him. An extreme sadness took him over as he thought of Gabrielle from a few days before. The feeling was so overwhelming, his chest felt hollow.

"Bernie," Harry began. "I don't think it would be such a great idea if I brought this potion to them."

His interest Piqued, Bernie turned around from the shelf he was examining and gave him a pointed stare with squinted eyes. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Without answering, Harry gently shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. He was staring at the vial without truly focusing on anything in particular. Bernie walked cautiously over to where Harry was standing.

"You told her?" Was all Bernie asked.

After a beat of silence, Harry gave a simple nod to confirm Bernie's suspicions. Harry lowered his eyes from the vial to the counter and pressed his lips together. Gabrielle had become a significant part of his life in recent months, and it pained him to know that he had ruined yet another good thing in his life because of who he was.

"Well, slap me silly," Bernie said. "You actually did it."

This comment surprised Harry out of his reverie. "What's that supposed to mean?" Harry asked, looking up.

"I honestly didn't know whether or not you'd actually tell her."

A little insulted, Harry defended himself. "I'm not that much of a terrible human being, Bernie."

"I never said you were," Bernie said, cutting him off. After a brief pause, the silence was broken again. "That was no easy thing you did. I commend you for telling her."

"Well, you basically told me that if I didn't do it, you would do it for me eventually," Harry said, slightly annoyed at the praise.

Bernie crossed the room and stopped just outside his office door before turning back around to face Harry. "I was doing you a favor."

"And what, pray tell, would that favor had been?"

"You know just as well as I that you needed to tell her. You are not the type to lie to the ones you care about, Harry." Bernie turned back to the door, facing away from Harry as he said his next words. "And trust me when I say nothing, and I mean nothing, is worse than walking this earth knowing that the one you love doesn't know who you really are."

Harry processed his words for a second before Bernie turned the knob of his office door and snuck inside.

Harry was once again left alone with his thoughts, the fire that was stirred up by Bernie dissipating and the hollow feeling in his chest returning.

~Gabrielle~

The evening was coming to a close, and most of her family had gone to bed. Gabrielle remained awake, even after her sister and Bill had retired to their chambers.

The night was not coming easy to Gabrielle, and she remained wide awake, unable to rest the whirling thoughts inside her head. Eventually, the idea of remaining stationary in her bed seemed unbearable, and she decided to walk around for a bit.

She went into the kitchen, magicked a cup of tea, and walked outside to the back of the mansion.

The night air was crisp and refreshing, and Gabrielle was glad to have a temporary relief to the constant headache that had become a common expectation over the past week.

The past week. An entire week and a half had passed since she found out that Harry Potter was, not only alive and well, but also her supposed boyfriend. Which in all honestly, confused the hell out of her. In her mind, she was dating Jake Meier, a man who attended Durmstrang. But after being alone with her thoughts, she realized that's all she really knew about his schooling and nothing else substantial.

 _I wish I would have asked more questions. I really know nothing about the situation._ Gabrielle thought as she sipped her tea. Maybe she had run off too quickly? Regardless, she wasn't going to beat herself up for running off. _I believe my reaction was well within reason._

And if she was honest with herself, her celebrity school-girl crush was, in fact, Harry Potter. He saved her from the Black Lake at Hogwarts during the Triwizard Tournament, and she even had the opportunity to speak with him at Bill and Fleurs wedding. Needless to say, she had thought about Harry Potter romantically more than once.

How she would have reacted to Harry Potter being in that apothecary instead, she didn't know. Part of her wanted to think that she would have treated him like any other average person. However, another part of her knew that she would be starstruck with the idea that he would invariably be the one to come to her rescue and amazed at his popularity by just walking out on the streets.

She could also see why he would want to get away from all that too. Afraid that she was possibly shallower than she realized, Gabrielle let out a sigh of long-suffering into the night air.

Just then, she heard the door from the mansion open behind her and Bill stepped into the crisp night air.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he said as he walked over to where she stood. He was in a long stripped nighttime robe with fluffy slippers.

Gabrielle let out an exasperated laugh. "How'd you know?"

Bill breathed a small laugh out his nose before replying, "just a lucky guess." Silence followed before he turned to Gabrielle and asked, "Is everything all right? Something seems to be bothering you."

Gabrielle smiled disarmingly and looked up to the stars. "It's nothing really." She replied, trying to find some shapes in the twinkling stars above them. "I guess I've just been thinking about last week's Ministry meeting with Papa."

"What's been bothering you?" Bill questioned.

"Lots of things," Gabrielle said in reply. "Maybe you can shed some light on this though."

Bill raised his eyebrows, surprised that he had a question directed specifically for him.

Gabrielle sighed before continuing. "I was really thinking about the disappearance of Harry Potter and how it triggered all these attacks and deaths. I know it's nowhere near what it was during the war, but no one can seem to pinpoint any of it except that it moves from country to country. I guess I was just wondering what was going on in Harry's life before his disappearance."

Bill leaned back onto his heels and breathed in sharply. "Oh Merlin, there were a lot of things going." Bill turned to face Gabrielle a bit better, narrowing his eyes slightly. "Why do you ask?"

Gabrielle shook her head quickly. A little too quickly. "Just trying to figure some things out, I guess. No real reason other than curiosity."

"I see," Bill said, staring out into the vast emptiness of the night sky and rolling hills behind the mansion. "Bloody hell, where to start? I guess we all thought everything was going smoothly. The world was stable enough at that point that we didn't exactly fear any Death Eater attacks or anything. I didn't really see Harry all that much, but I did talk with my brother Ron from time to time."

"What did he have to say?" Gabrielle asked, not wanting to reveal how much she knew and not sure what she should give away.

"To be honest, things were rocky for Harry and Ron. If you know my brother at all, you will come to find that he is as much of a jealous hypocrite as he is an extremely loyal friend. There came the point where I personally believe Harry was so exhausted from the constant ridicule he was receiving that when he was questioned about the events of the war, he took all the credit just to get the people off his back. It angered Ron that he was reduced to nothing in the war and only the faithful and trusty sidekick.

They had a pretty intense fight about four months before Harry disappeared. Ron wanted to be recognized, Ginny was unhappy, and Hermione was trying to be the equalizer. Though I think she was more on Ron's side on this one."

"They fought because Ron wanted to be recognized for his achievements?" Gabrielle asked, finding it hard to understand.

"It was more complicated than that," Bill said. "He was always in the shadow of five older brothers. We had already accomplished everything before so none of his accomplishments were special since we'd already done everything. Being the friend of Harry Potter and helping defeat the darkest wizard of our time was an achievement to call his own. But Harry didn't want the attention. He made it known to all of us at the Burrow. Harry was constantly being scrutinized for his every action, every good or bad decision, any place he visited, anyone he spoke to. Everything. Ron didn't have that kind of pressure, and I don't think he quite realized how much pressure Harry was truly under. So, when Harry just agreed with the reporters, it really angered Ron to know that Harry didn't want the attention, but wouldn't turn the reporters in any other direction but to get them to stop talking.

It's all entirely selfish of Ron, but I can see why he was upset. He was reduced to nothing in his mind. Hermione too."

Gabrielle sipped her tea thoughtfully. "That sounds really stressful."

Bill let an exasperated laugh escape his lips. "You don't know the half of it." Bill entwined his fingers together and continued. "My sister wasn't very kind either. And Merlin's beard, Harry was in love with her. I could see it. We all could. He would do anything for her."

Gabrielle stiffened at this new information. "Were they still together when he disappeared?"

"No. Unfortunately, part of being the Wizarding World's savior is all the overtime he had to put in at the Ministry trying to rebuild. Harry was trying to do what was expected of him according to everyone's standards and working himself down to the bone, while I believe Ginny needed someone to comfort her and be there for her while she came to terms with everything.

Everyone has their own coping mechanisms, I guess. And Harry wasn't providing. At least in the way she needed. After Harry's fallout with Ron, Ginny and Hermione were the only things keeping the group together."

"But then they broke up?" Gabrielle probed.

"Yeah. We were all surprised. Especially mum. And if I had to venture a guess, I would have bet 10 galleons that Harry was going to ask her to marry him once everything calmed down. But Ginny had reconnected with a former boyfriend of hers from Hogwarts and wanted to be with him instead. She never cheated on Harry, but she broke it off and started dating this bloke incredibly soon after.

I had never seen Harry so broken. He wouldn't emerge from his rooms for days on end, and because of his fight with Ron, no one really came to check to make sure he was all right. And everyone could feel a change in the air when Harry came to visit at the Burrow. No one knew how to talk to him, and the one time I remember seeing him, he was pale and barely moved from his seat in the living area."

Gabrielle remained thoughtfully quiet through Bill's speech and allowed him to continue, taking in all this new information. "Ron blames himself for Harry's disappearance in a way. He feels terrible about how everything was left off and couldn't even go back far enough to try and remember if anything seemed off besides the awkwardness of his visits at The Burrow. And now he regrets his jealousy. It was all a nasty bit of business, that's for sure."

Bill finished telling Gabrielle what he knew of the situation and let her sit in silence for a bit before asking, "Catch anything of interest to you in that explanation?"

Gabrielle breathed in an exhausted breath and replied, "Actually, yes. That all helped quite a bit. Thank you."

Bill nodded knowingly and patted her on the back. "You'll catch a cold if you stay out here much longer."

"And what about you?" Gabrielle asked in an attempt to give him a chance to open up as well.

Bill snorted, "I'm only up because ever since Fleur got pregnant, she snores like a dragon with a sinus infection."

Muffled laughter escaped the pair as they turned to go inside. "I just can't wait for her to start showing. It's like she's not even pregnant."

"She should start showing more around seventeen weeks, right?" Gabrielle said with a smile.

"Something like that. Not sure to be honest." Bill said, smiling at the thought.

Stopping at the foot of the stairs, Gabrielle turned to face Bill. "Thank you for talking with me tonight, Bill."

Bill smiled warmly and said, "Anytime, sis."

As Gabrielle ascended the steps, her mind was running even more than it had been before, but she seemed to come to a sort of peace after listening to Bill.

She more fully understood where Harry was in his life when he decided to fake his death and disappearance. It made more sense to her now, and she decided that she really needed to speak with him. Whether or not anything productive would come from the conversation, she didn't know. But her confusion was definitely lessened, and the dark shadows of her thoughts were no longer invading her mind in a whirlwind of confusion and anger.

When the weekend hit, she would go speak with him.

~Harry~

Friday afternoon rolled around, and Harry faithfully manned the front counter of Bernie's Apothecary. Bernie himself was in the back room, dissecting and distributing the batch of potions Harry had created that morning for the shop.

Every once in a while, Bernie would poke his head out to check on him. Harry knew Bernie was concerned because he was quieter than usual, but all Harry could do was wait and listen to Bernie's advice.

"A friend of mine once said, 'Worrying means you suffer twice.'" Pretty shitty advice in Harry's mind. But nonetheless, he carried on with his day, still wondering what Gabrielle was thinking, and who she told at this point.

The entire two weeks seemed to have taken more out of Harry than he realized as he was always tired even though he went straight to bed after work most days. He had not tried to contact Gabrielle, deciding to give her the space she needed, and often wondering if she would ever attempt to speak with him again.

Bernie came through the back and asked Harry to finish dividing up the potions after his inspection. "The potions are good. Take the Draught of Peace vials and stock the lower shelves. Any leftover ingredients we can sell as well. Get to it."

Harry went to the back room and started working without a word. Bernie watched him as he made his way to the back, sighed, and turned back to the counter.

A few hours passed and Harry barely registered the faint tinkle of the bell charm signaling that someone had walked through the door. He moved on to separating and packaging the extra ingredients and busied his hands as Bernie took care of the customer.

Harry was handling a rather delicate shipping of Ashwinder Eggs when Bernie poked his head through the archway to the back and cleared his throat. "Ahem. Jake, you have a visitor."

Harry looked up from his work. His brows furrowed in confusion, but he didn't say anything as he traded places with Bernie. One of Bernie's eyebrows raised in a knowing look and a slight smirk graced his lips, but Harry chose to ignore him.

What Harry saw froze him on the spot and sent his heart pounding.

Gabrielle was standing at the counter, hands together and looking at him with an equally surprised expression.

Harry gathered his wits and stepped forward cautiously, trying to judge Gabrielle's reaction to seeing him.

When he approached the counter, she said timidly, "Hello…Jake."

"Hello, Gabrielle," Harry said quietly, testing the waters. "How have you been?"

"I've been fine, thanks," Gabrielle said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Look, I would like to speak with you. In private, if that's possible."

Instinctively, Harry's brows raised in surprise. He shuffled his feet and replied, "Of course. We could meet at my apartment after work today?"

Gabrielle nodded her head in agreement. She looked unsure and almost frightened, as though she didn't know what the right thing to say was. Her emotions marred her face as she battled with what to say next when Harry decided to say something in her stead.

"I'll answer any questions you may have. I hope I didn't muck things up too terrible."

"I just need some more clarification," Gabrielle responded. "I'll tell you my thoughts more tonight."

Harry nodded, satisfied with her answer. Her response made him feel slightly uneasy, but it was as good as he was going to get at this point. He swallowed hard and watched her leave the Apothecary. Only a few more hours to go.

~oOo~

Harry sat at his dining table, waiting for the protective charms he set around his apartment to be set off with Gabrielle's arrival.

The waiting set his nerves on edge as he thought of what kinds of questions she might ask. The more he thought of his responses to some possible questions, the more he felt like a coward for running and starting this life.

He didn't regret going into hiding, but the shame was still deep within him. Saying it out loud will only make it seem more real.

At last, the charms were triggered, and he instantly lifted them to admit Gabrielle into his flat.

He opened the door for her, and she stepped inside, scrutinizing his features as she moved to take a seat at the table. Harry's disguise was still on from the day's work, and when he took his seat, he removed them to fully reveal himself to her. He wanted to be as open and truthful to her as he possibly could.

As his disguise melted away, her eyes widened as though she was not expecting the transformation. She shook her head after realizing that was the whole reason for her visit and cleared her throat.

"I didn't mean to take you aback." Harry began. "I just want to be completely upfront with you. No more hiding."

"Thank you," Gabrielle said, intertwining her fingers. "I appreciate it. It's just going to take some getting used to. I've been falling for Jake this whole time, only to discover he doesn't exist."

Harry's heart sunk and his face fell. "Will this be a deal breaker for you?" He asked, looking down to her hands.

"Not necessarily," Gabrielle stated. "Initially, I honestly didn't know what to think. I've had a chance to clear my head though."

"I have to ask," Harry said. "Did you tell anyone?"

Shifting in her seat, Gabrielle answered, "No. Although I did have a talk with Bill a few nights ago when they were visiting. Which was a major reason why I came to terms so early."

Harry's face shifted into an expression of horror and worry before Gabrielle quickly responded, "I didn't mention you being here or disguised. And he didn't say anything about you being hidden or disguised either, so I think you're okay."

Harry let out a relieved, yet slightly unnerved sigh. He ruffled his hair and asked, "So what did you two talk about. Bill seems to know an awful lot."

"I asked him what all happened before your disappearance and he told me quite a bit about your friend Ron and Ginny."

Harry leaned back and felt a familiar stab of pain through his chest as he thought about Ginny and his fight with Ron. His emotions had been so raw the recent weeks that he didn't even try to cover it up, and he knew Gabrielle could see the faint traces of his agony.

"J..Harry, I'm sorry," Gabrielle said quietly. "That must have been really hard."

With unseeing eyes staring off into nothing, Harry responded, "I thought I was going to marry her."

Gabrielle didn't say anything or move, unsure of how to take this comment. They were dating after all, and a little too late, Harry realized his mistake. "I didn't say that to make you feel any less important to me, Gabrielle. It's honestly how I felt at that moment. And now that I've begun to think about my reasons for leaving a bit more, I may not have been completely over her. Or at least I may not have been ready to lose someone else dear to me. If I were honest with myself, that would probably be the biggest reason for not telling you who I was earlier. My name alone has caused nothing but problems since the day I was born."

Gabrielle nodded in understanding. Harry hoped that meant she could see where he was coming from in regards to this topic and waited for her next question or comment.

"Bill said he talked to Ron after your disappearance," Gabrielle said. Harry's intake of breath at the mention of Bill speaking with Ron was very subtle, but still sent a whirlwind of emotions through Harry. "Ron blames himself for your disappearance."

Harry pressed his lips together and scanned the room. He closed his eyes as his brows came together in a pained expression. "I know he never meant to say the things he did. But even after all we'd been through, he could never quite forgive me."

"Why was he so upset?"

"He was upset with me because of something I said to the reporters for the Daily Prophet. We had agreed not to reveal the true nature of Voldemort's death. We alluded to the fact that he had Horcruxes made, but never published it outright. The reporter asked what I did specifically to defeat him, and all I said was that no one else would have been able to kill him. I wasn't thinking the way Ron was, and in hindsight, it was rather pompous and selfish of me to say that.

Ron was upset as was Hermione, and then my breakup with Ginny made everything worse."

Gabrielle scratched her head. "I don't fully understand why that would make him so upset as to jeopardize your relationship?"

Harry took a deep breath and began to explain to her the intricacies of the Horcruxes, their life on the run against Death Eaters and snatchers alike, and the fact that Harry himself was an additional Horcrux that Voldemort had not intended to create.

He spared no detail, going into as much depth as he could. She was willing to listen, and he was going to take advantage of her openness.

He had not visited the details of the war in many years and had to catch himself giving the 'publicly approved' version more than once.

By the end of his tale, he further went on to explain the details about after the war. The expectations of his closest friends and the public at large, more depth into before and after his falling out with Ron and Ginny, and how everything seemed to fall apart without his control.

"I eventually just felt I would be better off leaving them all alone. I felt like a burden whenever I visited The Burrow. I felt that enough living with my aunt and uncle, I wasn't about to subject myself to that again."

Gabrielle was immediately curious. "Your aunt and uncle? The muggle ones you lived with?"

 _Ah._ Harry thought. _I forget not many people know that bit of information other than the Weasleys._

Running his hand through his hair again, Harry said, "Aaahh, that's probably a story for another time."

Hours had passed before he finally finished, answering any question that came to Gabrielle during his explanation. They even attempted to clarify everything that Harry had told her as Jake during various interactions and dates to decipher what was truth and what was fiction.

By the end of it, Gabrielle looked as though she felt a great deal better about the situation. Harry also felt better as he was able to finally tell someone unbiased about everything that had transpired in his life up until that point. He never realized how much he needed to talk to someone about it, despite that in the back of his mind he still wasn't sure if Gabrielle forgave him or not for running from his problems and lying to her.

They both let out satisfied sighs before Harry asked, "Did you have any other questions that I could answer?"

Gabrielle nodded thoughtfully, "Who else knows?"

"Just you and Bernie," Harry said. "And I plan on keeping it that way. If there's a chance that even a rat will see me, I want my glamours in place and for you to address me as Jake. I know I've caused a lot of heartache to a lot of people with my disappearance, But I stand by my decision. So far it's been one of the better decisions I've made and I want it to be long term."

"How did Bernie find out?" Gabrielle asked, intrigued. She tilted her head in her usual curious gesture.

"He found out the night of the ball we went to together." Harry elaborated. "He recognized the Elder Wand. I left it in the shop that night for safe keeping in the hopes no one would recognize me. I knew Ron and Hermione would be there since they were given free seats to attend. I didn't want to risk it."

"I see." Gabrielle murmured. After another short pause, she spoke again. "I'm not going to sugar coat it. I was extremely angry with you when I first found out."

Harry gulped and nodded. "And I completely understand why."

She nodded and continued. "And I'm not going to say that this will be an easy transition for me. I'm so used to Jake now, seeing you as Harry will feel like I'm cheating on you." She drew in a breath and gathered her thoughts while Harry waited patiently for her to say more. "However, after speaking with you tonight, I feel much better about the whole situation. And I'm willing to give this a try."

Harry almost gasped, his intake of breath was so quick. "Gabrielle, do you forgive me?"

She reached out and gently held his hands over the table. "Yes Harry, I forgive you. And I'll stay here and bother your goblin face and eat at odd muggle restaurants and explore the tops of mountains with you till you really piss me off."

Harry let out the breath he didn't know he was holding and bent down till his face was touching her hands in relief. He squeezed her hands, just to know they were there and breathlessly said, "Thank you. I was afraid I'd lost you."

Gabrielle squeezed his hands back. "No, not yet. However, if you ever lie to me again, we will have a problem and need to reevaluate. But I can understand why you kept this from me for so long, even if I don't like it or don't approve. But I'd like to know who Harry is more-so than Jake from this point on."

"Of course," Harry said, nodding wholeheartedly. "I promise."

Gabrielle gave him one of her real, dazzling smiles for the first time and Harry's heart soared. Things might actually be turning around for him.

He returned her smile, and they both stood up and stretched. Gabrielle needed to return home before too long, so she gathered her belongings and headed toward the door.

"We'll talk again soon." She said. Harry recast his glamour spells, opened the door for her and she turned around as though by instinct to give him a kiss. She stopped herself, nodded reassuringly, and stepped out the door.

Harry almost expected a kiss as well, but could not blame her. He would give her the time she needed to process everything she learned today. It was definitely a step in the right direction, and he couldn't have been happier with the outcome. Now came the task of rebuilding their relationship.

For the first time that night, Harry went to bed feeling better than he had in months.


	11. Moving Forward

Authors Note: Hello everyone! Here is another wonderful chapter for you all! Now that Gabrielle knows who Harry truly is, we can move on a bit with the story. We are both very excited to hear what you guys think! Reviews are greatly appreciated.

Speaking of reviews, WOW! You are all amazing! Thank you so much for your insights. It is so interesting to hear everyone's thoughts and your kindness is incredible.

Chapters 1-4 are currently edited and posted and Chapter 11 is out, all within a week, so we're feeling pretty good about ourselves. Hooray!

Also, to fully explain some of Harry's behavior and why it took so long for the reveal, is that I really wanted it to feel natural. Disappearing from an entire way of life is a HUGE deal and not something he ever wanted to let slip. If he would have suddenly said, 'yep it's time! I'll tell her the month we met!' It would feel very unnatural and rushed. He truly put everything on the line to tell her everything. I hope that helps a little bit to see into our minds when it comes to the pace of the story.

Again, thank you all and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Disclaimer: Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling.

As the weeks passed, the brisk spring slowly transformed into a fresh summer. The air was still cold and left the ground foggy in the mornings, but the effect was calming and brought forth a sense of restful anticipation throughout the country.

May was just beginning, and Harry honestly couldn't believe it had been almost an entire year since he disappeared.

Six years. Six years since the Final battle at Hogwarts. He stared out his window with his cuppa and thought back to where he was a year ago.

Never in his life did he think he would have a peaceful morning like the one he was experiencing now. With Spring sneaking away and the cusp of Summer edging in, he felt more satisfied with himself than he had in a long time.

The mere thought of his former life didn't riddle him with guilt and sadness anymore, and he firmly believed he had Gabrielle and Bernie to thank for that.

Bernie kept him occupied during work and with his studying, and Gabrielle was, well…Gabrielle.

The first week or so after Harry revealed himself to her had proved to be a very trying time indeed. He knew she was having trouble trusting him fully again, and he tried to be as patient and understanding as possible.

Harry told her everything he could but knew he probably forgot some information along the way. She would often ask questions just out of the blue before they decided to have another sit down to discuss any missing gaps within their stories.

Slowly but surely, they began to build their relationship back to the way it was. It was definitely different than before, but Harry knew it would take time.

He did think the most unusual request he received from Gabrielle was when she asked him to slowly show her only a few different parts of himself instead of banishing all the glamour spells from him each day.

Harry uncertainly obliged to follow her request and began walking around with long black hair that was pulled back in his signature Jake style, or short and messy brown hair, or striking green eyes with his scar showing. Harry inquired as to why Gabrielle had made such an odd request to which she replied, "I want to see the changes gradually, so it doesn't feel like I'm seeing two different people. It'll just help to set my brain straight."

So as was routine, Harry would reverse only one or two of his glamours each night when Gabrielle visited until she was comfortable enough to cast her Finite Incantatum.

There was still the fear that Gabrielle would run off and tell everyone she knew about the situation, but Harry had to admit that his anxiety and guilt had significantly been reduced since he revealed himself to her. He knew that if he did lose her, he would probably fall into another black hole as he did before. Whether that was a sign of love or desperation, Harry didn't know and chose not to think on it.

What also helped was the fact that Bernie kept him incredibly busy with his studies to become a Potions Master. The work at the Apothecary was easy enough to do with his eyes closed. The Potions Mastery, however, was an entirely different story.

When Harry had first worked at the apothecary and began studying the art of Potions, the pace was set agonizingly slow. So slow in fact, that Harry began to wonder why he ever thought potions was a difficult subject. The first few months were mostly learning how to prepare your ingredients accurately and how to detect good ingredients from bad. Also, how to compare high quality with sub-par materials.

This aspect of potions Harry could deal with easily and almost expected the entirety of his studying to be much of the same. Leisurely, laid back, and none too exciting.

How wrong had Harry been.

After a few weeks of beginning his Potions Mastery, he was required to buy all new materials as requested by Bernie. What came after was intensive drilling and brewing of every single potion Harry had brewed throughout his six years at Hogwarts (and what would have been his seventh year) in the span of a few months.

The easier part of the potion's mastery was the lack of essays he had to write. But if he didn't read or study his materials and was unable to recite the knowledge verbatim back to Bernie when requested, he would feel Bernie's wrath the rest of the day and need to brew that particular potion again to perfection in order to move on. If the brewing process required months to simmer, such as the Polyjuice Potion, he would have to learn the new material while simultaneously brewing the old.

There was a two-month period where Harry had to keep track of seven different potions at the same time, all of them requiring to be taken care of at different times of the day.

The training was intense, but Harry could see and understand potions better than he ever had in his life.

Bernie, it turned out, was a highly competent teacher. While his rules about potions brewing were strict, he was easy to understand and reassured Harry more than once that mistakes are common in potions. He never lessened the fact that an error could be deadly, but the reassurances were a welcome factor and something he never received from his Hogwarts education. Not to mention many of the upper-level Hogwarts potions Harry brewed had the exact same instructions as what was in his Advanced Potions book with the Half-Blood Prince's notes, so those potions actually came a bit easier.

Thinking back to potions at Hogwarts, he had to admit Professor Snape was a horrible teacher. While he greatly respected the man for everything he sacrificed during the war and considered him to be the bravest man who ever walked this earth, his anger and bitterness toward life hindered his ability to teach.

Fortunately, Snape's actions made sense to Harry after learning about the kind of pressure he was under during that time and what kind of life he led. Despite this, Harry always regretted not enjoying potions. The subject was one of his most looked forward to experiences when he first received his Hogwarts letter, and it was surely changing to be that way again.

Noticing the similarities of the instructions, Harry couldn't help but ask Bernie after scrutinizing every last word, regretting that he didn't have the textbook with him anymore.

"Bernie, are these your own personal instructions?" Harry inquired, pouring over the first handwritten page of The Draught of Living Death. Come to think of it; the handwriting is familiar… "This looks like Severus Snape's handwriting."

Bernie looked up from some old potions recipes to glance at what Harry was asking about, and gave a hearty laugh. "Ah, yes. Severus Snape was the last student I had complete his potions mastery with me." Bernie picked up the paper and perused the writing. "He completed the training so fast, I barely even realized I had a student. He brought this to me the day he started along with this ratty textbook full of writing. He skipped all the basic steps and went straight to advanced brewing, and then had the gall to tell me there was a better way to brew them! He was a git that man was, but we definitely had fun experimenting."

"Really?" Harry said, surprised. "I had no idea. How long ago was that?"

Bernie scratched his head thoughtfully, "I believe he was right out of Hogwarts, so he would've been seventeen at the time. Only took him a year and a half to finish."

Bernie handed the recipe back, walked into his office, and came out bearing a giant stack of notebooks. "These were the notes and experiments we did, what worked, and what didn't. You can look through them if you'd like."

Harry took the stack from Bernie and set it all down on the counter next to his assignment for the day. The papers before him were fascinating, and something he would peruse as Harry moved forward with his studying. _Odd how things like this always seem to turn up._ Harry thought.

Bernie retired back to his office as Harry completed his daily reading and emerged as Harry was finishing. In Bernie's hand was the familiar crystal vial, made and ready for Pierre Delacour. The stars within the bottle had changed to gold, but the silvery liquid had stayed the same since Bernie's last revision.

 _What level of potions must you have to be so in tune with ingredients and brewing and an unknown magical disease that you can still brew a potion for it?_ Harry wondered as he watched the golden stars appear and disappear within the silvery contents.

Bernie didn't say a word as he walked away from Harry, obviously expecting him to take the vial to the Delacour's for him. A sudden thought struck Harry. "Bernie, would I be able to help you brew this potion?"

"Absolutely the fuck not," Bernie said immediately. "One: you're not at that level yet, two: you need to master every other existing potion first, three: you're not that special."

"Oh, come on Bernie," Harry countered, "I'm sure you could use an extra hand."

Bernie scoffed and said, "Maybe in the future, but for now, your innocent eyes wouldn't be able to handle it. Lose your expert level potions virginity first." Harry sighed and continued his work.

~oOo~

Soon enough, Harry had spent the entire working day at the apothecary and now merely waited for Gabrielle to show up. They had planned to travel to Delacour mansion together that night to deliver Pierre's potion and then retreat to Harry's apartment for supper.

Harry was restocking some shelves of newly packaged potions ingredients when he heard the familiar jingle of the bell charm resound throughout the apothecary.

Gabrielle glided in and turned to peruse the shelves. "Good afternoon, Jake."

Harry smiled affectionately and returned her greeting. "I've only a couple more jars to put away, and then we'll be off."

The work was done in less than a minute. They stepped out the door with the vial in hand and said their goodbyes to Bernie, ready to disapparate.

They apparated to the front doors and dropped their hands to their sides. Harry had definitely noticed the lack of affection that Gabrielle had been showing lately, but he tried not to focus on it. He couldn't blame her after all.

When Gabrielle turned to look at Harry, she presented him with a dazzling and somewhat nervous smile. The caring look in her eyes alone was enough for immediate reassurance, and they walked through the double doors together.

The place seemed to be deserted except for a few baby gifts for Fleur and Bill that littered the counter and floor. Gabrielle peered around, curious as to where everyone had gone, only to decide that Pierre and Apolline were upstairs in their chambers.

"The potion needs to be administered soon," Gabrielle said, turning toward the staircase and dropping her voice to a whisper. "He can't even cast simple spells at the moment."

When they reached the top of the staircase, Harry could hear faint talking through the doors as they approached, what Harry assumed, was a small library or drawing room. Gabrielle took the lead and rapt her knuckles against the door before permitting themselves into the room.

Harry nearly stopped in his tracks as he took in the scene. Everything seemed normal until closer inspection. There were a few books propped on tables and chairs throughout the small chamber with various shelves of literature. Apolline was sitting straight on the edge of her seat next to Pierre. She held a cup of tea in her lap and looked as though she would be ready to send her cup flying at the slightest sound.

Pierre, on the other hand, was slumped down in a comfy looking armchair and he held his wand out in front of him. His arm was shaking near uncontrollably, and his hand was covered in…burns?

The couple stopped and waited as they entered and watched Pierre struggle with his wand. The mere thought of his magic seemed to hurt him.

Apolline set her tea down and said, "Alright, Dear. Try again." She readied her wand as well and let Pierre take his time. He needed a little help sitting up on his own as he was incredibly weak. For a moment, there was silence as he prepared himself to cast the spell.

"Lumos." BANG.

The entire room seemed to ignite in a blinding flame that dissipated at once. Harry had not heard a sound like that since the Battle of Hogwarts, and the shock of it sent his senses into overdrive. He wrapped his arms around Gabrielle and nearly swung her behind him to easier shield her with his body. He bent his head over hers and gripped his wand as the stinging light of the fire disappeared, ready to take the brunt of it with his back.

Harry's breathing was rapid and frantic, and he had begun to sweat. Gabrielle managed to turn her body to face him and looked into his eyes. Her eyes were calm and full of concern, though her breathing was frantic as well. She slowly raised her hand and placed it on his cheek in a silent gesture to make sure he was okay.

After realizing what he had done, Harry straightened himself and scanned the room a few times as he controlled his breathing, clearing his throat as he did so. Gabrielle gently touched the small of his back comfortingly, and Harry was able to calm down considerably at her touch.

Luckily, their interaction was so quick that Apolline and Pierre hadn't noticed. Gabrielle's father sat back in his armchair with an incredibly frustrated and sad look marring his features as Apolline cleaned up the mess his Lumos left behind. Now that Harry had a proper look, Pierre now seemed to be much weaker than before.

As the situation was addressed, Apolline gestured the couple to come closer to which they both obliged, if not a bit hesitantly. Gabrielle kept a careful eye on Harry as they stepped forward.

"Good afternoon, Sir," Harry said as they approached. Harry's voice was shaking slightly. "I believe we have something you may be waiting for."

Pierre opened his eyes and looked up to see Harry holding the crystal potion vial from Bernie. His eyes filled with the slightest tinge of hope as he said, "It looks different from before." Off to the side, Apolline held her breath as she waited for Harry's response.

"Bernie made a few edits, I believe," Harry said, kneeling down to him so they could be eye level. "Has this explosion business been happening long?" Harry inquired before anything else could be said.

Pierre sighed heavily. "Not to this degree."

"The use of magic has always sapped his energy, but it appears now that any time he tries, his magic rebounds and attacks him," Apolline confessed, her brows pulled together in an obvious state of worry. "It's never been this bad before."

Harry and Gabrielle both exchanged worried looks of concern and immediately held out the vial to Pierre. When he grabbed the vial, his arm shook from the pure weight of it. _Has there ever been a time in History when one's magic would attack itself?_ Harry thought. The very idea disturbed him, and he couldn't help but linger at the weak form of Gabrielle's father, the bags under his eyes and the burns from his spells trailing up his arm. His previously plump body was now showing signs of significant weight loss.

Pierre only looked at the vial shaking in his hand. "If I can't get this under control, I may have to resign from my position."

A horrified silence filled the air before Apolline interjected, "Well if that's the case, you can stay and help us at the gardens." Everyone in the room knew she was trying to find the bright side of the entire situation, but the mood remained bleak.

A sad smile was the only response from Pierre as he removed the crystal stopper from the vial. He raised it to his lips and slowly began to drink.

With each swallow of the potion, his strength seemed to regenerate. Harry was amazed at the sudden transformation. His face became less sallow, the burns on his arms almost seemed to disappear, though Harry could still see the remnants of the spell's attacks, and he began to sit up straighter as the liquid poured down his throat.

Once the last drop had disappeared, Pierre set the bottle on the small table next to his armchair. The entire room seemed to pause with bated breath as he slowly stood and grasped his wand.

Instinctively, Harry stepped in front of Gabrielle and consciously tried not to grab her arm out of pure instinct. Gabrielle recognized his power stance and wrapped her hand soothingly around his arm, to signal that everything would be fine.

Apolline stood as well, wand at the ready. A quietly muttered Lumos came from Pierre and instantly, his wand was alight with the dazzling light of his spell.

The entire room seemed to breathe out sighs of relief, and Pierre's face lit up for the first time since Gabrielle and Harry had arrived.

Grasping his wand a bit harder and determination marring his features, Pierre prepared to cast another spell. As if on cue, Apolline conjured a target on the other side of the room. _This must be nearly routine for them at this point._ Harry thought.

An uncertain _Flipendo_ shot out of Pierre's wand and hit squarely on the target, followed by a hastily and excited reciting of _Rictusempra, Incarcerous, Stupefy, Duro_ , and finally, _Confringo_. Each spell more dangerous than the first, Pierre seemed exhausted yet satisfied as he looked down at his wand shaking slightly in his hand. An incredibly satisfied and relieved expression graced Apolline's features as did Gabrielle's.

Pierre sat back into his armchair, satisfied with his work and turned to Apolline. "Please inform the department that I will be in tomorrow."

"Are you sure, Dear? You really should rest."

"I will have rest enough tonight." Was Pierre's only response. He gently kissed the top of Apolline's hands affectionately and muttered, "Thanks, Love." They continued their conversation in hushed tones.

Harry gathered up the crystal vial and carefully slipped it into one of the pockets in his robes and turned toward Gabrielle. She still hadn't said much, but Harry could see the relief in her face, though she was still tense.

Harry made note that when she was upset or thinking, Gabrielle remained mostly silent and observant. _Her mind must be spinning right now._ Harry thought.

Turning to her, he raised his hand to gently move a strand of her hair behind her ear to get a better look at her eyes. Their eyes met briefly, and she seemed to relax her body instantly. Harry gave her a subtle smile to which she returned gratefully. It was as though in that unspoken moment, all their worry and uncertainty over the last few weeks had trickled away. Harry also felt the relief within his own body, and her bright, blue eyes sparkled radiantly and reflected in Harry's own, now dark brown eyes.

Harry realized his back was turned and, though he knew it was risky, silently raised his wand slightly and removed the glamour spell from his eyes. Green now reflected in blue and Gabrielle beamed openly, her mouth dropping open a bit in sudden realization of what she was seeing. They were so close he could kiss her. He could feel her breath gently brushing along his face.

To break their reverie, Gabrielle peered over his shoulder and dropped her eyes immediately. What neither of them expected was the fact that Pierre had been watching this little exchange between them, to which Harry was immediately embarrassed. He lowered his hand, quickly and silently cast the glamour spell back onto his eyes, and took a step away from Gabrielle, looking down to his feet. Gabrielle followed suit when she realized they're very private moment had been seen by another. Her father, no less.

Apolline had noticed as well but decided to break the silence that hung in the air like a thick fog. "Gabrielle, your father has decided to go back into work tomorrow, so I need to be at the ready at just in case." She brushed her long, blonde hair out of the way and continued. "Can you take care of the gardens for an extra day for me?"

Gabrielle's eyebrows furrowed. "Papa, shouldn't you be taking at least one more day off?"

Pierre had immediately begun shaking his head, even as Gabrielle spoke, "I cannot take any more days off." He rubbed at his eyes and said, "there have been two more deaths in France. All seemingly related, but still, no one can pinpoint the direct cause."

Continuing to listen, Harry shifted uncomfortably. _More deaths?_ Harry thought. Pierre continued, "I may not stay an entire day if that makes you feel any better."

"Yes, it would," Apolline interjected. "But in the morning, I will still need you, Gabrielle. So, go relax and have fun tonight because it could be a hectic day tomorrow."

Nodding her head in agreement, Gabrielle turned to leave and replied, "Yes, Mama." Harry heard a sigh from Apolline and Pierre alike, with Gabrielle's father eyeing him curiously as they left the quarters.

Once they reached the gate of the gardens, Gabrielle held out her hand to Harry, and they disapparated back to Harry's flat. Although this time, Gabrielle did not immediately lower her hand from his. Harry's stomach flipped in excitement at this small change. Perhaps not all was lost.

They entered his apartment and continued their little routine of making tea. Harry removed a few of his enchantments, leaving his eyes brown, keeping the length, and changing his hair color to black. Gabrielle had an amused look on her face when she stood up from her tea and came over to Harry. Now that they were alone in comfortable seclusion, they didn't have to worry about others listening in or watching them.

Gabrielle scanned over his features thoughtfully, before removing the glamour spell from his eyes, turning them back to their vibrant green. She smiled in satisfaction and stepped back to take him in fully.

"I like this look on you." She said smiling mischievously. "You should grow your hair out."

Harry laughed, amused at her comment and said, "Note taken." Gabrielle then silently removed the rest of his glamour spells, and his hair grew shorter and messier again.

They both sat and drank their tea while sharing comfortable conversations. Once they were finished, they unanimously decided to take a walk around a local park before supper rolled around.

Once Harry's glamours were back in place, they left the sanctuary of his apartment and began their peaceful walk.

Noticing a distinct lack of conversation, Harry tried to open up a discussion. "Are you okay, Gabrielle?" he asked uncertainly. "You've been awfully quiet."

Gabrielle sighed and glanced in Harry's direction. "Yeah, I'm alright. I guess I'm just a little bothered by what we saw today." After a questioning look from Harry, she replied, "My mother doesn't usually let me or Fleur see how bad Papa gets. That was completely new for me. She usually has me tend to the gardens."

"I see," Harry said. "At least that potion is working."

"Yes, but for how much longer? This is Bernie's third revision on that potion. How many more times can it be revised?"

She fell silent again, and Harry reached out for her hand to comfort her. When their hands brushed together, she looked up into his eyes and took it gratefully. Continuing their path, hand in hand, Harry decided it best not to say anything and just to be there as a silent supporter. Nothing he could say would be helpful anyway.

Eventually, the silence was broken by a timid question. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what was up with that reaction to Papa's spell?" She glanced back up to take in Harry's expression. "You seemed shaken up, to say the least."

A soft and somewhat embarrassed sigh escaped Harry's lips before he could stop it and he ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I'm sorry about that. I haven't had a reaction like that in a while."

It was Gabrielle's turn to send him a questioning look for elaboration. "There were loud noises like that during the final battle at Hogwarts and it usually always meant either something had blown up or someone had lost their life. I guess it was just instinct."

Nodding her head slightly, Gabrielle asked, "Did you ever come in contact with that as an Auror?"

"Yeah, we did. Especially during some of our raids." Harry continued. "But the difference was I went in expecting some sort of fight. No way in hell was I expecting a fiery explosion from a _Lumos_."

Gabrielle nodded her head wholeheartedly in understanding and then asked her next question. "Did Hogwarts change since I had visited? What was it like before?"

Harry breathed out in amusement as he remembered all his fond memories of his first home. "It was brilliant. The moving staircases, the secret passageways, the passwords, the classrooms, the smells, the grounds, quidditch. Everything."

An incredulous laugh left Gabrielle as she exclaimed, "I remember those accursed moving staircases!" She nearly let out a cackle at the mere thought. "How could you even navigate? It was all impossible."

Narrowing his eyes playfully, Harry turned the questions to her. "Oh yeah? And what was so special about Beaxbatons?"

"Well, for one we start much earlier in age." A smug look stole over her features. "Most everyone starts at age nine, but my Madame Maxime allowed me to attend a year earlier to watch Fleur enter the Triwizard tournament. The deal was that if she was named a champion, I could stay. If not, I had to wait until next year. We both know how that turned out.

Second, one of the most famous wizards in the world attended Beaxbatons."

Harry scoffed good-naturedly, "Sorry to burst your bubble but Merlin, Albus Dumbledore, and I all went to Hogwarts."

Gabrielle nodded, feigning being deep in thought, "True, I will give you that. But we had Nicolas Flammel and his wife, Perenelle. Much of the castle is adorned and decorated in gold from them, and we even have a fountain named after them because of their generosity to the school."

Unable to help himself, Harry laughed at her expense. "There's no way he's more famous than freaking Merlin."

As if in spite of herself, Gabrielle also laughed with Harry. "Like I said. He's still the most famous alchemist in the whole world. It's a shame he had to die. I heard he was a great man."

"Yeah, I've heard that as well," Harry said. "Believe it or not, but I actually helped save his Philosophers Stone from Voldemort. Although looking back on it, it probably wouldn't have needed the saving if we'd just left it alone."

Gabrielle gave a skeptical look at Harry as if she didn't believe him. Still walking hand in hand and turning the corner, Harry defended himself. "No really!" He began to explain every detail of what happened during his first year at Hogwarts, his run-ins with Professor Snape, how they figured out what the Philosopher's Stone was from Dumbledore's chocolate frog card and finding Flammel's name, all the way down to the different tasks to save the stone and how his friends helped him every step of the way.

"Wow," Gabrielle said, astonished. "And you were all eleven?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, nodding his head. "Crazy first year, eh?"

"What in the world did your family think?" Gabrielle asked, eyes wide with wonder and astonishment.

Harry rustled his hair uncomfortably. "They never found out."

Gabrielle could sense his uncertainty and tilted her head, trying to read him through his expression alone. Harry could sense what she was doing and simply said, "That story is for another time. Besides, they were muggles and wouldn't have fully understood."

Her brows furrowed curiously, but she nodded understandingly, and they continued on their walk.

Harry turned the questions back to her. "Now that you know all about my first year at Hogwarts, what was yours like? I mean, after the whole year at Hogwarts with the Triwizard Tournament?"

Her face immediately brightened. "Oh, it was wonderful! No moving staircases." Harry chuckled under his breath, and she continued. "Each class had to learn to tend to the Abraxons and Pegasus'; the males and females were divided but we all attended class together; our classes were focused on healing and herbology, not to mention Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions; and we also had the option of taking a muggle studies class if you grew up in a wizarding household to blend in with muggles, or a wizarding studies class if you grew up with muggles. You were required to take either depending on your background, and I certainly believe it has helped us blend in with society. Well, whichever culture you choose to be a part of, really."

Curiosity stole over Harry at the thought of such a class. "Wow. I wish we had a class like that." Harry stated. "What I wouldn't have given to learn how to blend in with wizarding society a bit better when I was eleven."

Gabrielle swung herself around as she grabbed both of Harry's hands and began walking backward. "See, you already agree with me that Beaxbatons is better." She gave him a mischievous wink and fell back to his side.

A hearty and sarcastic laugh escaped from the depths of Harry's chest as he said, "In your dreams."

They continued in this fashion for the duration of their walk, hand in hand until they arrived back at Harry's apartment. Once they stepped inside, Harry removed his Glamours entirely and made his way to the kitchen after removing his shoes.

More than once he thought about acquiring a muggle television, just to fill the space in his living room. He was at least grateful for the electricity and lack of candles and wandlight.

He began to make supper with Gabrielle at his side, helping where she could. They had begun to do this a few times before he revealed himself to her, and the routine felt just as natural as before. If he needed the sink, he would take her hand and gracefully twirl her about to maneuver himself into the correct spot, sending her musical laugh into the air. Her laugh alone sent Harry's heart soaring.

Gabrielle, in turn, would attempt to spin him as well, but only end up in a mess of tangled arms since he was taller than her.

With their meal finished, they ate comfortably while continuing their idle chit chat. Every time Harry made her laugh or smile, it felt like he had accomplished something incredible.

Together, they magicked away the mess with a _Scourgify_ after their supper and stored away any dishes.

The hour was growing late, and Harry half expected Gabrielle to leave straight away; something he had grown accustomed to these past few weeks since she learned the truth.

But she lingered, looking as though she didn't want to leave. She didn't say anything as she looked toward the door and then back to Harry.

Lending her an appreciative grin, Harry closed the distance between them and kissed her hand. "I had a wonderful evening with you tonight Gabrielle."

Gabrielle smiled from ear to ear. "As did I, Harry."

It was the first time she had said his name, and the simple utterance alone sent shivers down his spine. He breathed out a satisfied breath and nearly closed his eyes in satisfaction. He looked down to their entwined hands and said, "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Squeezing his hands, Gabrielle replied, "You made it easy, Harry." Another shiver. "After speaking with you and spending time with you, I've fully come to realize that you really are the same person as before. It's just your looks that change. It's comforting to know and see daily."

Involuntarily, the knuckles on Harry's hand softly brushed the line of her jaw. "I'm so sorry for causing so much doubt."

"All is forgiven," Gabrielle said, almost breathless. Harry's hand stilled its gentle caress as their eyes met once again. This time, Gabrielle's hand made its way up to the back of Harry's neck.

As if on cue, Harry's heart began thundering away in his chest. All the extra blood pumping through his body all seemed to travel to the one area of his body he didn't want blood in at the moment.

But that didn't matter. Gabrielle leaned in; her eyelids heavy and her expression full of curiosity and want. Harry could feel the gentle grip of her hand on the back of his neck, and he carefully tilted her chin upwards to capture a better angle.

His other hand landed on the top of her hip and pulled her forward gently. Not enough for their bodies to touch, but to close the proximity between them.

Sweet Merlin, she was beautiful. And not just because of her Veela heritage. Everything about her from her looks, her body, her personality, her caring nature, her ability to logically think and understand in stressful situations, and most importantly, her ability to forgive him drove desire through every facet of Harry's being.

Their eyes were locked in an eternal stare, green reflecting in blue and blue reflecting in green. The ensuing effect creating waves of oceanic colors, completely changing the essence of one another.

Moving his hand from her chin to cupping the back of her head for support, Gabrielle closed the gap between them, closing her eyes slowly as their lips met in a tender kiss.

Her lips were cool and soft to the touch, and Harry didn't dare move more than she did. The moment was so perfect at that moment, their lips moving just enough to allow the other to feel every inch of the surface of each other's mouths. The tenderness of the moment sent the butterflies in Harry's stomach to fly about and send more heat downward. After not kissing for almost three weeks, the closeness they were sharing had been sorely missed.

Harry was allowing Gabrielle to call the shots on what came next. She sensed this and deepened the kiss, encouraging him to do the same. He gripped her waist a bit tighter and moved his hand around to hug her close.

When their bodies touched for the first time, Gabrielle let out a soft sigh through their kiss that nearly undid Harry. He had to stop himself from bucking against her and gently explored her mouth with the very tip of his tongue, drinking her in.

She moved her arms and grasped onto Harry's back to press them together even more than they were, her breasts heaving and feeling pleasantly soft against Harry's chest.

After what seemed like a pleasurable eternity, she lessened her grip and lightened the kiss until they broke apart. Not ready for the moment to end, Harry brought his hand back up to rest on the back of her head tenderly and closed his eyes while their foreheads came together. Gabrielle's eyes had remained closed, and they stood together in each other's embrace in comfortable and satisfied silence, their heavy breathing the only thing breaking that silence.

Harry was the first to open his eyes and step back timidly, not wanted to put an end to their intimacy. It had been so long since he had been genuinely intimate with anyone, and he physically craved her touch. But he still wanted to respect her boundaries, whatever those may be. Everything was still so new, and he didn't want to overstep.

However, the look on Gabrielle's face seemed to reflect his own thoughts. She didn't want their moment together to end. Her eyes were lidded with desire, and she graced Harry with a dazzlingly beautiful smile. "That was nice. To kiss you as Harry finally." She said, drinking in his features, her eyes roaming over his hair, his eyes, his scar.

"How does it compare with Jake?" Harry said teasingly, raising an inquiring eyebrow.

"I think you might know the answer to that question," Gabrielle replied with a snarky tone. Harry smiled playfully and bent down to brush his lips against hers one final time. The mere contact sent another wrack of tremors up his spine.

The shivers also seemed to effect Gabrielle as well because when Harry pulled away, they both appeared to be breathless. They locked eyes one last time before Harry said, "It's time for you to go home." He brushed away a loose strand of her hair from her face. "Your parents will wonder where you are and you have a busy day ahead of you tomorrow."

Nodding her head, Gabrielle took her wand out from inside her robes and turned toward the door. "Good night, Harry." At the utterance of his name once more, Harry's eyes lit up with pure joy and happiness.

Her wavy, blond hair brushed Harry's arms as she turned to leave. Harry checked to make sure no one was around outside before standing at the doorway without his Glamour spells in place. When she turned around, he waved gently and received another one of her radiant smiles. She turned on the spot, and the telltale POP of her disappararation signaled her leave.


	12. The Truth Uncovered

Author's Note: Hello again everyone! I know I have taken a long time to post the next chapter and I do apologize for the wait and greatly appreciate your patience. I had been meaning to get it out earlier but I promise I have a good excuse! I am currently in Korea. The preparation for travel and the travel itself took a lot of time but hopefully I can write a few more chapters while I'm here. The posting schedule will be a bit wonky compared to normal since the time zone here is 15 hours off.

That being said, I hope you all really enjoy this chapter! To answer a few questions you might be having, I wrote it that Harry faked his own death because I feel that would be a very in-character thing for Harry to do. In every single book, he's always doing things WAY over the top. (Taking it into his own hands that he needs to personally save the Philosopher's Stone, thinking he's the heir of Slytherin and slaying the basilisk, riding to the Ministry to "save" Sirius, etc). He always goes way over the top. This time is no exception. He doesn't really consider any other logical options and immediately goes to the most extreme. While his age and Auror training curbed some of those reactions, it's still an inherent part of who he is as a person and as a Gryffindor. Hopefully this explanation helps!

As always, please review! You are all amazing and we love seeing your reviews. Have a wonderful day!

~oOo~

Much to Harry's delight, he and Gabrielle began spending every night together at his flat. The routine was always the same: Harry would end his work at the apothecary and either help at Apollo Gardens or wait for Gabrielle to show up, they would go to his flat and make tea, eat supper, talk late into the evening, kiss goodnight, and Gabrielle would reluctantly take her leave.

The couple talked about anything and everything. There was never an uncomfortable silence, and Harry was reminded more than once of the date he took her stargazing in the Norwegian Mountains, a fact she later commented.

"How in the world did you manage to even find that place?" She asked, remembering their first date fondly. "I thought a main rule of apparation was that you had to have visited the place before you can apparate to that specific location? Which is why Portkeys aren't completely obsolete, correct?"

Harry nodded in agreement, "Yeah, that's right. I have actually visited that place before." Gabrielle's questioning expression prompted him to continue. "During the war when my friends and I were searching for Voldemort's Horcruxes, we camped out a lot. We didn't just stay in Britain; we went all over. It was one of our down times that we camped in that valley to stay away from snatchers till we figured out what to do next. Hermione was the one who had been there before."

Gabrielle's eyes were large and full of amazement, "Wow. Everything you had to do was insane."

"Yeah, it certainly seems like it." Harry shifted on the couch a bit, to which Gabrielle lifted her head till he was comfortable and laid back down to Harry's shoulder. "I don't think we would've lasted the year without Hermione."

The silence was comfortable despite the sudden turn their conversation had taken.

Gabrielle seemed to be rooted in thought before she blurted out, "So, what happened in those in-between bits? I know you were hunting Horcruxes and all that, but what about running from those snatchers?" She shook her head as though she was trying to shake away a bad memory. "The ones that were in France were a nasty bit of business."

Harry allowed a sarcastic laugh to escape in disbelief of what the situation had been. "We got captured once."

A small, shuddering gasp left Gabrielle, and she immediately lifted her head to look him straight in the eyes. Her mouth was open in shock and disbelief as this new information sunk in. Her reaction was a little strong in Harry's opinion, but he had been so numb to the fact that it happened he couldn't quite grasp the severity of the situation.

"What happened? How did you escape?" Gabrielle asked, obviously horrified.

Harry grabbed her hand and began stroking the back with his thumb. "Hermione cast a stinging jinx on my face to hide my identity. The whole lot of snatchers was rather dense so they couldn't figure it out. They took us to Malfoy Manor where they tortured Hermione for information. A house elf named Dobby saved us that night and brought us to Shell Cottage. That's the watered-down version anyway."

Gabrielle started abruptly, "That's where Bill and Fleur live now."

"The very same," Harry confirmed. "Dobby died saving us that night."

"I wonder why I never knew that," Gabrielle voiced aloud.

Harry nodded his head in thought, scratching his chin as he replied, "It could be because our time there was supposed to be a secret and it was never discussed outright."

Nodding in agreement, Gabrielle said, "True." Before falling back into a thoughtful silence again.

"Could you feel the effects of Voldemort here in France?" Harry inquired, suddenly curious. "We never really heard much about the other countries, being on the run and all."

Breathing in, Gabrielle responded, "We definitely felt it. It was terrible all over. We had all the same attacks, snatchers, deaths, and kidnappings. I think the only reason we didn't feel more of You-Know-Who's and his Death Eater's wrath was because he was so attached to Hogwarts and was obsessed with taking over the British Ministry of Magic.

Although I think he was trying to overthrow us remotely. He used a lot more Inferius in the surrounding countries than he did in Britain. I saw an Inferi once, and that was the most terrified I had ever been in my life."

"Where did you see it?" Harry asked, now his turn to give her a horrified look. It took a great deal of effort to suppress a shudder at the thought of being dragged under the lake by the Inferius guarding the basin with Regulus's locket.

She shook her head sadly and replied, "They would hide. And you wouldn't know where they would be coming from. Most of the time they came from the sewers, and you would only know what they were when they got close enough to see their eyes. And half the time you wouldn't be able to tell what they were if they were fresh. The one I saw attacked a young girl near the entrance to the Wizarding Paris shopping district. This particular one was almost half rotted away. I watched the whole thing. By the end, that girl was one of them. Or maybe just dead. I'm not so sure."

Harry couldn't even shake his head in disbelief. The mere thought was incredibly disturbing. "I only saw the Inferius once," Harry admitted. "But never out on the streets, even though we were told he'd previously used them for his army-…What happened exactly? With that girl?"

Gabrielle shook at the memory, furrowing her brows. "It was awful. I was lucky it didn't see me, but not so much for that girl. The Inferi chased her till she tripped and fell about three shops away from where I was hiding. It was wicked fast and clawed at her till she fell. It started biting her and scraping her eyes out. I will never forget her screams-" a shiver traveled up the length of her body before continuing. "I had to look away for most of it. I only looked when I heard the girl start choking and saw that the Inferi's entire arm up to the elbow was down the girl's throat. It started pulling her organs out from her mouth, and she didn't stop struggling until it finally pulled out her heart and probably half of the inside of her lung."

Her voice dwindled as if she were on the verge of tears and she covered her face with her hands in anguish as if she was trying to shake away the mental picture of that night. Harry put his arm around her and held her close, unable to imagine seeing something so horrendous.

After a pause, Harry breathed in quickly and tried to change the subject. "Ehrm, so is there a famous French wandmaker that you got your wand from?"

The attempt was pathetic but was all Harry could think of at that moment. Sensing that he was trying to help her recover from the memories of the Inferius, Gabrielle grasped onto his distraction immediately. She sighed and graced Harry with another one of her breathtakingly beautiful smiles, small and pained as it was.

She described her wand and where she purchased it from, what it was made of (Vine wood and unicorn hair), and the entire experience as a whole. The air was still tense from their previous conversation, but she gradually relaxed.

Gabrielle became reflective again and asked Harry, "Did your muggle relatives feel the effects of the war?"

"Errm, I don't really know," Harry responded. "They were relocated before we went into hiding right before everything got really bad. I never really contacted them after that."

"Really?" Gabrielle said, seeming surprised and advancing cautiously. "Are they alright?"

It had been a long time since Harry had thought about the Dursleys and he didn't have a reason to anymore. "Yeah, I think so," Harry said, running his fingers through his hair. "I never really thought about them since we left."

A questioning look filled Gabrielle's eyes, and he promptly replied, "It wasn't the greatest situation. I choose not to think on it." Harry looked away, hoping she would drop the subject.

"I see," Was her only reply. She was quiet again and then said, "you can tell me about it later then."

Harry let out his breath and turned to look into her eyes. They were demanding and understanding at the same time. He knew he would tell her more eventually, but was grateful that she let him put it off a bit longer. He grasped her hand in his and nodded his head slowly. "Thank you." He said to her as she leaned in to kiss him.

She was thinking about something again, and she was silent for so long that it was Harry's turn to be concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine actually," Gabrielle said in reply. "I guess I'm just wondering what Bernie is up to right now."

Confused, Harry's brows came together and he said, "Okay?"

Gabrielle laughed good-naturedly and replied, "I actually forgot to tell you. I asked if I could complete a Potions Mastery with him, like you."

Eyes widening, Harry smiled for her and said, "Really? Gabrielle that would be wonderful!"

"You think?" She asked, looking up sheepishly and a tad hopeful. "I wasn't sure what you'd think."

Harry reached over a tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sweetheart, why would it matter what I think? If it's something you want to pursue, you should do it."

She smiled up at him. "Yeah?" She looked away and said what was truly on her mind. "I guess I didn't want you to think I was a copycat or anything, mainly because I got the idea from watching you in the first place, not by any true ambition for potions. But I got to thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea on my path to becoming a healer. They need advanced potions anyway. Why not learn from the best?"

Harry couldn't help but smile encouragingly. "I think it's a wonderful idea, Gabrielle. And don't worry about what I or others would think. Do what you want to do and what you feel is right."

Gabrielle smiled warmly up at Harry and kissed him on the cheek, bringing her hand up to cup his face. Her eyes seemed to look down to the very depths of his soul. "Thank you." She said and kissed him full on the lips.

~oOo~

Harry's hand was close to shaking as he carefully poured the remnants of the potion from the cauldron into the glass vial that he held. A bead of sweat slowly dripped down the bridge of his nose as the last bit of potion made its way into the bottle.

Letting go of his breath, he gently set the cauldron down and corked the vial to his potion. He turned around to see a satisfied and approving look on Bernie's face, to which he smiled.

Nodding his head, Bernie clapped his hands together once and said, "Well done, Harry." Bernie grabbed the bottle from his hand and swirled the contents around approvingly. "That was probably the most fascinating potions brewing session I've seen in all my years of potions mastery teaching. Aside from maybe one other person, you definitely have a rare, innate talent for it."

A grand smile spread across Harry's face as Bernie's words sunk in. His hands were physically shaking now as Bernie made his way to the counter and began bottling up the poisons that Harry was supposed to be creating antidotes for. All eight in total. Harry had remembered briefly learning about Golpolotts Law at Hogwarts, but never with this much clarity. And the fact that he had just mastered this very complicated potions concept left Harry feeling elated.

Bernie made his rounds to each potion and judged them accordingly, nodding approvingly at each one.

"I daresay; you are ready to move on." Bernie crossed the room and stopped at the entrance of the door. "Come this way." He stepped out of the back room and began walking to his office. The day was still early and there were no customers, but the morning light was just beginning to peek through the windows.

Bernie opened the door to his office and stood aside to allow Harry in. At first, Harry didn't move. _This feels like a trick._ Harry thought suspiciously. Again, Bernie tried ushering him in before Harry said, "I thought I wasn't allowed inside your office, ever?"

A laughed escaped Bernie as he said, "Well, times have changed, now haven't they?" Bernie turned and walked inside as Harry cautiously followed.

At first glance, his office seemed reasonably normal. But upon further inspection, Harry noticed that there were pictures stretching across one entire wall of the room, all with two people. Harry walked to inspect the most recent one and saw that it was Bernie and some other woman in an elegant wedding dress dated 1939. The frame was neat and had gold inlays in intricate details of trees and flowers. Harry admired the picture and turned to where Bernie was rummaging through his papers.

"Bernie, who-?"

"Never mind that, boy." Bernie interrupted and handed Harry a large stack of papers. "I've got something else for you to occupy your mind."

Harry took the stack of papers in Bernie's hand and slowly began to inspect them after taking a seat on the other side of Bernie's desk. They were all of the potions that appeared to be extremely complicated. "What is this?" Harry questioned.

"What you're holding there are some of the most advanced potions you have ever laid your eyes on," Bernie said, standing up and walking around to take some of the papers out of the stack. "This here is a potion that will burn your organs, one by one. A slow acting poison that will only alert that it's killing you until it's too late. This one-" He said, shifting another paper. "is a potion that is classified as a healing potion. It can completely take away every one of your senses — smell, taste, touch, sight, and hearing. It is often used in cases of painful healing. Can also be used as a weapon. And this one is a potion that, when thrown at an object, can transform that object into something else, almost like transfiguration in a bottle."

Harry was fascinated. He tried to drink in as much of the information as he could. Just the idea of the power some of these potions held was an incredible thought.

Looking up, Harry saw an excited expression on Bernie's face as well. "How are these potions even possible?" Harry asked. "Most of the ingredients we have studied don't have these sorts of properties. Even when combined with other ingredients, there's no way these would even be possible."

"And that's where you're wrong." Bernie countered. "All of these recipes that you're holding are currently completed potions. Although you are currently holding the incorrect versions." Harry's brows furrowed in confusion, but he waited for Bernie's explanation.

Bernie continued, "A large part of Potions Mastery is research and experimentation. Now that you have completed a significant portion of your mastery in creating almost every potion known to man, you must now continue further. Experimentation and advanced knowledge are major contending factors in regards to potions.

You were able to accurately glance at a recipe for these potions and know that what was listed would not create the desired result. Much like in Golpolott's Law where the antidote counteracts the poison, you must know which ingredient or action creates the undesired effect."

Bernie took out a more refined piece of paper from inside his desk. "This here is the completed version of the potion recipe in your left hand. Your next step is to modify the recipe that you hold based on what is available to you, so it fulfills its intended purpose. Then we will compare what you have created with what it should be and discuss what you did and why you did it. We can't experiment with the poisons on ourselves, but anything else is fair game.

Now—" Bernie said, once again revealing another recipe, this time in a large book. "This is an experiment of mine. I have it completed, but it requires a fair bit of magic. Just read it and tell me what you think."

Harry took the stack from Bernie and added it to his pile. "So, the next phase is mostly experimentation?"

"More or less," Bernie replied. "Most people who only have a basic understanding of potions wouldn't believe experimentation and potion modification to be an important part of the mastery. However, there would never be new or improved potions created if this was not part of the standard curriculum. Most do not advance past this point because they find it too difficult. For example, two ingredients will give you the desired effect, but putting them together would make your potion explode. A different ingredient will cancel that explosion but in turn, will also cancel the desired effect from one of those ingredients. It's a challenging game of 'what will happen now' in an attempt to find success."

Nodding, Harry pressed the stack of papers together in a neat pile and stood up. "I understand."

"Now where do you think you're going with those?" Bernie said accusatorily, also standing up.

Harry looked toward the door and back to Bernie, confused. "I'm taking these to the back?"

"No, you're not," Bernie stated. "All of those potions you hold in your hands are of my own creation. If there is even a possibility of someone stealing them, I'm fucked. These recipes do not leave my office. I will allow some of the separate notes to be taken with you to your apartment, but that is it."

Harry set the papers back down on Bernie's desk and stared at him, bewildered. "Then how do you expect me to study as much as you want me to?"

As though he was waiting for this statement, Bernie set a shiny gold key on his desk and pushed it forward. "You will now have access to my office to peruse the notes I just gave you." Taking out separate papers individually, Bernie said, "You may take these home to read. Nothing else. Any potions experimentation can be done here."

At that comment, Bernie moved a shiny gold book lodged in the small bookcase in the corner, across from the pictures on the wall and to the left of his desk. The bookcase slid back and revealed a small room that housed a cauldron and all the supplies Harry would need, including many different arrays of stirring tools, writing utensils and paper, and magnifying glasses and vials. The only thing missing was the ingredients.

Shaking his head, Harry stared at the secret compartment in disbelief. "So, this is where you do all of your work? Because you have a secret compartment just for your potions?" Harry shook his head again as he noticed Bernie's personal cutting board encrusted in gold sitting on top of the counter next to the cauldron. There were several other cauldrons latched magically to the wall, all of different metals starting at Pewter and ending with gold _. Funny how cocky he is with all his gold._ Harry thought, laughing internally.

"Yes, it is. And you will do well to remember it. If you think a potion will go awry, please for the love of Merlin, find me so I can help. I have enough on my plate as it is." After a short pause, Bernie looked away and said, "It appears our young miss Gabrielle has also shared an interest in her Potions Mastery. If not at least to receive advanced potions tutoring."

"Is that so?" Harry said, knowing full well that Gabrielle was beginning to pursue this path. "and?"

"She didn't want to worry you with it. And I promised not to tell unless I accepted her as a student. Obviously, you know my answer." Bernie shuffled around to his desk and pointed toward the door as Harry had to almost stop himself for celebrating in her stead. "Nevertheless, I will be quite busy with the shop, your advanced Mastery, and Gabrielle. The only reason I haven't rejected her is that I already know she has an aptitude for potions, so I know it won't be a complete waste of my time."

"Bernie, that's wonderful!" Harry exclaimed, genuinely pleased at this information and pretending he didn't know ahead of time. "I'm sure she'll be really excited."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Bernie nodded in agreement. "But let's not get too carried away. This only means you'll have to work ten times harder to succeed since my time is valuable."

Nodding his head vigorously, Harry stood up straight with the chosen notes and said, "I'll do my best."

Grunting in amusement, Bernie replied, "Keep doing what you're doing, and you'll find it hard to disappoint me."

Harry took the key from Bernie's desk and conjured up a chain. He fastened the key to the chain and hung it around his neck for safe keeping.

~oOo~

At the end of his shift, Harry went back into Bernie's office, grabbed his notes, and apparated away to his flat. When he arrived outside his enchantments, he was surprised to find that Gabrielle was already waiting for him outside his door.

Immediately, she flung her arms around him in an ecstatic embrace. He nearly stumbled back at the force of her hug when she pulled back and exclaimed, "Bernie sent me an owl this morning. He said he'd accept me as his student into the Potions Mastery!"

She hugged him again happily and Harry returned the embrace in kind, feeding off her excitement and joy.

Harry lowered his enchantments on his flat and they walked in together, Gabrielle nearly bouncing off the walls and speaking a hundred miles a minute. Harry then undid the charms on himself.

"Harry, what is it like? What all will I learn? Is it easier than you expected? Do you have any tips for me? I can't believe this is actually happening! I never thought in a million years that I would have this kind of opportunity; I just can't believe it!"

Not wanting to calm her down, Harry laughed at her excitement, letting her blow off the steam that had seemingly piled up the entire day from Bernie's response.

Just as he was about to speak, the couple heard a faint tapping on the window next to the door.

A large, brown owl was tapping on the sill bearing a large letter.

The talking ceased almost immediately, and Harry and Gabrielle looked at each other in bewilderment. Harry slowly made his way to the window, unsure of what to think. He hadn't received many letters recently, so this was strange.

Just as he was about to open the window, a second tawny owl bearing another letter joined the first. Gabrielle walked up to stand beside Harry as the owls presented their legs with the letters. One said Jake and the other said Gabrielle.

Exchanging a look of curiosity, they took their respective letters and gave a small treat to each owl. The owls flew away one by one and the couple turned to each other once again, looking down to each other's letters.

"This is odd, isn't it?" Harry said, unsure of what this was.

"Well, this looks like Fleur's handwriting, and yours looks like Bill's." Gabrielle pointed out. Her finger slid underneath the wax seal of her letter and took out the paper.

A relieved smile spread across her features and she said, "It is from Fleur. They must've sent us both a letter."

Harry took his letter out and began perusing it immediately.

Jake,

Fleur and I would like to invite you over to our home at Shell Cottage for supper tomorrow. We would like to get to know you a bit more, and we realized that you have not yet visited us at our home. Please send us your answer and we will plan accordingly.

All the Best,

Bill

Handing the letter over, Gabrielle scanned the contents and replied, "That's basically what Fleur said." She handed Fleur's letter over, and Harry quickly scanned through.

"Well, we don't have anything going on, do we?" Harry asked. "When did Bernie say he would begin your mastery?"

"He said we would start training next week," Gabrielle said. "I would really like to visit them, honestly. I haven't seen Fleur since the baby announcement. And that was about four months ago."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Let's go then." He immediately began writing a letter of their agreement, signed it at the bottom as well as Gabrielle, and attached it to his own owl to deliver.

He took hold of Gabrielle after watching the small bird fly away and kissed her square on the lips and nuzzling her gently. She returned the gesture in kind and pressed her body against him.

Harry loved seeing Gabrielle so excited and happy. Today was exceptional, and he hoped every day after this would be filled with just as much joy.

~oOo~

The next day, Gabrielle and Harry apparated to Shell Cottage and landed just outside the outskirts of the property, next to the ocean.

Harry immediately recognized the area. The familiar waves crashed next to them and the air smelled salty. Every once in a while, he would feel the spray glitter his face as the wind carried the water farther from the shore.

In all honesty, Harry half expected to see Hermione and Ron crouched down in the sand, and Dobby laying with a knife stuck in his chest. The lack of blood in the sand was disorienting, and Harry felt a soft hand slide into his own.

Gabrielle looked up into his eyes with concern etched over her features. Harry only then realized that his face was scrunched up into one of anger and fear. He quickly schooled his features and gave her a reassuring smile.

In return, she smiled back, still obviously worried. He grasped her hand and they began walking toward Shell Cottage, their heels digging into the sand as they went. At the top of the hill, Harry paused again.

Dobby's grave sat in the sand, lopsided as it was after being blown in the wind for over six years. Sadness once again filled Harry as he stared at the grave, the ground completely flat without any remnants of a body having been buried there.

Gabrielle leaned into his side, recognizing the grave from his stories. Harry briefly leaned his head against hers, straightened, and then made his way to the stone to right it once again. The _words Here Lies Dobby A Free Elf_ still shone through.

Breathing in and taking one last glance, Harry met Gabrielle's eyes and began walking the rest of the way to the cottage. They were silent and reflective till they reached the door.

Gabrielle knocked once and was immediately greeted by a very ecstatic and very pregnant Fleur.

The sisters hugged and squealed in excitement at seeing each other again, Gabrielle pressing her hands against Fleur's belly. Harry couldn't help but chuckle and shook Bill's hand as they entered.

"Wotcher, Jake," Bill said as they stepped through the threshold. Harry's eyes met Bill's and he was surprised to see that they were harsh. Bill was scanning over Harry's features quickly and Harry knew right then: Bill must know. There was no possible way he wouldn't. He looked directly at his hair, his eyes, and where his scar should have been.

They were ushered into the living area while Gabrielle and Fleur talked happily about the baby and going over possible baby names.

Harry felt entirely uncomfortable at the look he received from Bill upon their arrival. Something felt off.

Smelling the food that had been prepared for them, Harry asked, "do you guys need any more help in the kitchen?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Fleur answered. "Everything is already done and ready."

They all stood up and walked into the dining area, and Harry helped them set the table, grabbing the utensils and napkins.

Bill paused his plate setting and commented, "You sure know your way around the kitchen, Jake."

Still setting the table, Harry briefly glanced to Gabrielle and said, "Well, most kitchens are set up the same luckily." _There's no way he'd buy that excuse. Shite._

A soft, "Hmm, escaped Bills lips as he continued his task as Gabrielle and Fleur began bringing out the food. All four sat down and started eating and talking. Although Bill was not saying much and neither was Harry. And much to Harry's distress, Bill was not hiding the fact that he was staring at him every chance he got. Even Gabrielle had started to notice.

She could feel Harry's internal panicking and set her hand gently on his knee in an attempt at comfort. Her touch helped only slightly.

Fleur and Gabrielle talked mostly about Fleur's pregnancy and the baby that was yet to come. Occasionally, Bill would light up and join the conversation but would immediately fall back into his disconcerting silence. Something that didn't seem to bother Fleur in the slightest, but was beginning to make Gabrielle feel uneasy by the way she would often blink in and cast stealthy glances in his direction.

Occasionally, Bill would break his silence and ask a question, seemingly out of the blue, but in a way that Harry knew precisely why he was asking such a question.

"You stopped at Dobby's grave outside. Why?" Bill ate another bit of his food as he waited for Harry's answer, keeping his eye contact.

"Erm—" Harry began.

"I wanted to stop." Gabrielle interrupted. "I forgot that grave was here and wanted to pay my respects."

Bill raised his eyebrow slightly and said, "I see."

Gabrielle sent a look at Harry that was full of questions; her face almost scrunched together in a way that showed she felt she was being scolded for no apparent reason. Harry understood that look all too well.

Harry grabbed Gabrielle's hand as they walked back into the living area and sat down after supper; however, Bill did not sit.

Once they made themselves comfortable and Harry stoked the dying fire with his wand, Bill asked, "Isn't that the Elder Wand?"

Harry froze.

Heart pounding, Harry glanced down to his wand and looked wide-eyed into Gabrielle's eyes. Fleur had just sat down and barely moved as well, waiting for his answer.

"The Elder Wand?" Harry asked, feigning innocence.

"Yes, the Elder Wand," Bill stated tersely. "That wand is either the Elder Wand or an exact replica of the one Harry Potter let me take a look at in the Ministry."

Hyperventilating becoming a very real outcome, Harry tried to reply, "I…I don't…"

"Last I hear, Harry Potter was the last known owner of that wand. And, last I heard, He's missing or dead. And you still have those Glamour spells cast on you," Bill stated, a tick slowly appearing in his jaw.

Gabrielle stood up. "Bill, what are you doing?"

"Don't act like you don't know, Gabrielle." He said, his voice softening. Whether his voice softened from love toward his sister in law or that she was treading dangerous waters, Harry couldn't tell.

Harry stood and crossed the room to stand beside Gabrielle. "Bill, can we talk privately?"

Scoffing at the very idea, Bill drew out his wand, the twitch in his jaw becoming more prominent. "That's just what you'd want now is it?"

Brows furrowing in confusion and slightly defensive, Harry put his hands up in surrender. "Bill, Please. What are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say that I don't trust you and you are obviously hiding something." Bill was visibly angry now and Fleur stood up to stand next to her husband as Gabrielle took her stance next to Harry. "I demand to know what you're hiding 'Jake.'"

Gabrielle looked up to Harry with a combination of fear and questioning. Harry had sworn her to secrecy, but he had been found out, and he knew it. All Harry could do now was play along until the time came to reveal himself to Bill and Fleur.

Harry took one last look at Gabrielle and said, "So, what if I am?"

There was an intake of breath by more than one person in the room, but Harry could not tell who from. Bill answered, "Then you are a danger to Gabrielle, my wife, and my unborn child until I know exactly who you are. "

Nodding in agreement, Harry stepped in front of Gabrielle defensively. He raised his wand suggestively, just to throw Bill off for a bit. "I can assure you that I am no more dangerous than that unborn child of yours." Openly pointing toward Fleur seemed to be a mistake.

Bill suddenly lunged forward in a way Harry had never seen before. His eyes almost took on a yellowish hue, and he nearly growled as he forced his forearm into Harry's neck, his wand pointing straight at his face.

Deep down, Harry knew that Bill wasn't a true werewolf, but the remnants and traces of the werewolf in him were still frightening.

Harry immediately dropped his wand as he heard Gabrielle begging Bill not to do anything rash. She pulled on his arm desperately and Fleur was sitting calmly in her seat as though she expected this turnout for the night.

Struggling to breathe, Harry tried to free himself of Bill's grasp as Gabrielle desperately tried to pry Bill off him.

"I can't ignore the fact that you could be a danger to us." Bill snarled.

For a split second, Harry thought about keeping up with his façade. But realizing that they deserved to know, Harry resolved himself to tell them.

"Okay, okay!" Harry stammered, nearly choking at the effort to speak through the pressure of Bill's arm. "Just back off."

Bill stepped back; wand raised. He made no show of backing down, and his eyes remained narrowed in suspicion and anger.

Harry raised his own wand in case he needed to defend himself. Honestly, he couldn't blame Bill for being cautious, especially with his wife and daughter on the line. He truly underestimated Bill.

"I'll tell you everything." Harry panted, giving Gabrielle a furtive look before he turned back. Her eyes were wide with shock and she immediately stood up straight and dropped her wand from her defensive position. She looked to Bill and Fleur who both wore equally surprised expressions. "But you have to promise not to tell anyone."

At that moment, Fleur stood up and stayed Bill's hand. He lowered his wand and she walked over slowly to where Harry stood.

The simple act of walking up to Harry caught him off guard.

She placed her delicate hand on his shoulder and simply said his name. "Harry?"

Lifting his eyes to meet Fleur's, he was shocked to say the least. Bill had lowered his wand and Gabrielle had become as still as a statue.

After a furtive glance in Gabrielle's direction, all Harry could do was nod.

Bill stepped back, brows raised in disbelief and smug as though he had already known. Gabrielle's mouth was open in surprise, unsure of what she should say or do in the present situation.

Fleur's hand did not leave his shoulder and only backed away when Harry lifted his wand and cast a Finite Incantatum.

His Glamour spells melted away to reveal him as Harry Potter.

Without missing a beat, Bill asked, "Why?" he was shaking his head in exasperation and pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why would you do this?"

Harry could sense that Bill wasn't done yet and remained silent. "I knew the moment I saw you that you were hiding something, Harry. Did you honestly expect us to be so daft that we couldn't figure it out?"

Breathing in, Harry responded, "How did you know it was me?"

At this point, Fleur had stepped back to stand next to her husband again. Looking over, Harry saw that Gabrielle had not moved from her spot and continued to look between Harry and Bill frantically.

"It was bloody obvious now, wasn't it? This 'Jake' appeared right after your disappearance, you have a disguise that covers the exact features that define you as Harry Potter, you have the fucking Elder Wand—" Bill breathed in as though suddenly tired. "—and the way you reacted at the French ministry meeting was a dead giveaway. Not to mention the conversation I had with Gabrielle afterward only solidified my suspicions."

Gabrielle's eyes widened frantically and she blurted out, "Harry I didn't tell him anything, I promise. I merely asked him a few questions."

Holding up his hand to silence her, Harry said, "Gabrielle, it's okay. I trust you didn't." Turning back to Bill and not lowering his defensive stance entirely, Harry said, "So, why attack me if you knew it was me?"

The angry tick in Bill's jaw had not entirely gone away, and Harry couldn't tell if Bill wanted to yell or punch him. "Because I still didn't have an exact confirmation. And there's no way in hell I'm going to keep my family in possible danger. You could've been the maniac who was responsible for killing you in the first place" Turning abruptly, Bill focused his gaze on Gabrielle. "And how long have you known?"

Standing straight, Gabrielle marched over to where Harry was standing and stood defensively in front of him. "I've known since the Ministry meeting. About four months or so."

Nodding in understanding, Bill agreed, "That makes sense. We had our conversation about two to three weeks after that."

Gabrielle nodded and stood her ground next to Harry.

"You seem to have accepted this rather quickly, Gabrielle." Fleur piped up. "Surely this isn't something you're simply overlooking because he is Harry Potter?"

Feeling his heart plummet, Harry knew they were trying to convince Gabrielle to leave him. Both Fleur and Bill knew too much about him already and now the added fact that he fled his life and hid like a coward was only an additional reason to add to their arsenal. Harry decided not to fight them and their reasons. He ultimately couldn't force Gabrielle to choose between him and her family.

"Fleur, as much as I respect your opinions, your assumption is wrong." Chancing a look at Gabrielle, Harry could visibly see that she was rather upset by Fleur's question. "It's been nearly half a year since I found out and yes, it was hard at the beginning because I felt lied to and betrayed. But time heals all wounds and I've come to accept it because he is still the same person I fell in love with before. He only looks different."

Harry's ears perked at her declaration of her love for him. Their eyes briefly met and Harry's immediately softened as he tried to convey his exact feelings for her. Only up until this point had he realized he never really knew if he truly loved her or if it was left over feelings from Ginny.

In fact, Ginny hadn't crossed his mind in a very long time. This confrontation led Harry to honestly believe that his feelings were genuine, and he latched on to the sudden soaring of his heart like a child presented with a piece of candy.

Both Bill and Fleur were a little taken aback by Harry and Gabrielle's sudden silent conversation and Harry watched as they exchanged their own looks full of meaning.

Finally, Bill relaxed. He put his wand back up his sleeve and sauntered over to where Harry and Gabrielle stood. Harry didn't lower his wand immediately, unable to curb his Auror training completely. Bill still looked angry and all he said when he reached him was, "You have put your friends and family through hell, you know that?"

Harry nodded, ashamed to know that Bill was only speaking the truth.

"Ron blames himself you know? All he wants to do is rectify the situation, and now he can't. Hermione too." Bill lowered his head sadly. "You missed their wedding, mate."

Pain gripped the inner core of Harry's chest as he thought about his best friends getting married and not joining in the experience. He pursed his lips and shook his head to clear his jumbled thoughts.

Bill allowed this new information to sink in. "Why?"

Meeting Bill's eyes, Harry tried to explain the best he could. He told them everything. From the moment Voldemort died to every event and conversation that led up to the point of his leaving. He spared no detail and much like Gabrielle from before, they simply sat and listened. Occasionally they would ask a question for clarification, and Gabrielle even chimed in a few times when Harry couldn't think of the right words.

Eventually, Bill had sat down next to Fleur and listened intently. When Harry's story had concluded, Bill asked, "Are you planning on telling anyone. I personally feel your friends and family deserve to know."

Shaking his head nearly desperate, Harry replied, "No, I'm not telling anyone else. And you can't either."

The corners of Bill's mouth pulled up as he tightened his lips in frustration. "And why the bloody hell not?"

"Bill, I thought I made my statement why perfectly clear?" Harry defended. "I don't want anyone to know. The whole reason why I left is to give my friends a better chance at having a normal life that isn't constantly plagued with The-Boy-Who-Lived. My only family are muggles and could care less about me, not to mention they would probably be bloody ecstatic to know I disappeared and possibly died."

Gabrielle shot him a surprised and wondering look, but he ignored her sudden movement and continued. "And no offense to you or your family, but I was immediately treated differently when Ginny broke up with me and Ron and I had our fight. It was irreparable, and I had no one to turn to except my guilt and sorrows from the war."

The room remained eerily silent as his words hung in the air like a thick fog. Harry was nearly panting after explaining himself, and Bill almost looked guilty for having asked.

Bill took a step back and said, "As much as I hate to admit this, I can see where you're coming from. Although I don't agree with you for basically abandoning your problems, I don't blame you."

He breathed in and released a sigh before continuing. "I don't know what I would have done in your position."

Scrutinizing Bill's face carefully, Harry asked, "Will you keep my secret?"

Giving Fleur a furtive glance and nodding to each other in agreement, Bill agreed, "Yes. We'll stay quiet. We've kept it this entire time now, haven't we?"

Harry released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and looked into Gabrielle's eyes with relief as he felt his facial muscles relax. The day's events had definitely taken a strange turn, and he hoped he wouldn't have to explain himself to anyone else any time soon.

The night had grown late at this point, and Harry and Gabrielle decided to retire back to Harry's apartment after speaking further and clarifying any immediate questions for Bill and Fleur. Bill had relaxed considerably and no longer showed any signs of anger, just deep thinking and traces of exhaustion. Fleur showed the imminent signs of drowsiness as well, and the couple bade them goodnight and disapparated away.

When Harry and Gabrielle appeared at the front door of his flat, Harry did not drop Gabrielle's hand and held it tightly as they entered the threshold of his door. The room was dark, and Gabrielle lit the end of her wand to douse the kitchen and living area in light.

The gentle refractions of light made her skin nearly glitter and her eyes twinkle with a warm glow. She was beautiful. There was no denying that fact. And she had stood with him in the face of her sister's and Bill's accusatory statements. Not to mention she said she fell in love with him.

After a beat of staring into her sparkling eyes, Harry asked, "Did you mean it?"

Blinking, Gabrielle met his eyes with a questioning look. "Mean what exactly?"

"That you fell in love with me?"

The breath Gabrielle had been breathing in caught in her throat, and Harry replied again before she had time to speak. "Because I love you too."

The air seemed to stand still as he looked into her eyes and continued. "I know we've been together for a while and we've been taking things slow so I can attempt to regain your trust. But I can't ignore anymore that I am undeniably in love with you. I hope you would feel the same"

Harry was putting everything on the line. The only reason he felt more confident than before was because of what she said at Shell Cottage. His heart pounded in his chest desperately as he waited for her response, the butterflies in his belly nearly sending him to his knees.

Gabrielle graced him with one of the most beautiful and brilliant smiles he had ever seen. She leaned forward and kissed him passionately, nearly dragging him down to her level as she gripped the back of his neck, slipping her tongue between his lips as she simultaneously pressed her body against his. Harry responded in kind and gripped her hips, pulling her closer and moving one hand up to cup the side of her face tenderly.

When they broke apart, Gabrielle smiled radiantly and nearly whispered, "I love you too, Harry."

Harry's heart soared to the point he felt he could jump from the astronomy tower at Hogwarts and never hit the ground. He wanted to climb atop his broom and fly in celebration and shout his happiness to the world.

They kissed more, passion and desperation dripping in every move they made together. Eventually, they separated and reluctantly bade each other good night. A confidently spoken 'I love you' leaving their lips to each other as Gabrielle disappeared into the night with a _POP_.

~oOo~

The hour reached passed lunch, and Harry and Bernie had been having a quiet afternoon in the shop. Harry had hardly been able to study properly with his mind full of the previous night's events. He was elated and ecstatic, and he nearly bounced off the walls every time he moved.

He couldn't deny that he was incredibly nervous about having two more people in on his secret, but he trusted Bill and Fleur to keep their mouths shut as much as he trusted Gabrielle. They had kept their musings to themselves this entire time after all, and set up their confrontation in the confines of their own home as well. If they decided to betray that trust, he would have to deal with it when it came.

During the downtime of running the Apothecary, Harry was reading up on some of his notes for his Potion's Mastery. Bernie was quietly working away off in the corner.

Altogether, an enjoyable day of work.

Harry was rereading some of the finer print of the notes given to him on a potion that was supposed to turn every inch of your body's skin to rubber. The words were lost in Harry's mind when Bernie looked up suddenly from his work. There was a loud commotion just outside the shop. Harry turned to Bernie, whose face was scrunched up with concern.

"Go out there, Jake," Bernie said, quietly acknowledging the presence of a customer browsing the shelves and also noticing the commotion. A loud _BANG_ echoed down the street. "There are muggles out there."

 _Fabulous._ Harry thought sarcastically but quickly made his way out to the street with Bernie and the lone customer on his heals.

There were already a high number of people there, and Harry heard angry shouting.

"You pureblood scum don't deserve to be walking free, you sons of bitches!"

Harry pushed his way into the crowd, hanging onto every word he could hear. "It's because of you that my wife and child died in the war! It's all your fault!"

"Please sir, I don't know what you're—"

"Don't fucking pretend! He was right! He was right this whole time and you know it! You all need to be locked up, you worthless pieces of shit!"

A strangled choking sound echoed down the street and Harry could see muggles taking their phones out to take pictures.

Nearly panicking, Harry found the source of the fight and saw two men, one in a chokehold by the other's hands.

Harry ran up immediately and broke the two up. "What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?!" Harry shouted, pushing the offender away.

The man began shouting, addressing the crowd. "Are you all too blind to see the truth, cowards!? Are you so blind that you can't see that these purebloods are still walking this earth freely and ready to kill us all when the time is right?" The man spit in the direction of his victim, the gloppy mess landing right next to Harry's shoe.

Confusion and anger marring Harry's features, he took a step forward and pushed the man away as he made another lunge for his victim. "You need to calm down. NOW." Harry demanded, showing his wand discreetly through the opening of his sleeve. Harry made sure to grip the collar of the man's shirt to give himself more leverage and make sure the man was looking into his face to know he meant business.

The man laughed menacingly, noticing the threat. "Oh, I bet you're another one of those pureblood supremacists, aren't you?" The man took a step back and lifted his hands in a mocking surrender. "Don't worry. This isn't over. When he finally makes himself known, we'll come after you. And any other of your pureblood shitbags, to boot."

The man stumbled away, walking backward for a bit and holding his gaze as long as possible as he retreated. The small crowd parted to allow him to leave, and Harry stood his ground until he was sure the man had fled entirely.

Turning around, Harry saw Bernie kneeling next to the man who had been attacked. Walking up to them, Harry heard the man explaining, "He just bumped into me and lost it! I don't know what I did. He just began saying things like, 'it was your fault! He'll be coming after you anyway, at least I'll make it painless," and things like that. I'm not even a pureblood."

"I know, son," Bernie said, examining his neck and checking for any other possible injuries, casting a spell to stem the bleeding from his nose. "He seemed like a madman."

Harry nodded in agreement, but something the crazy man said left Harry feeling uneasy. _Don't worry. This isn't over. When he finally makes himself known, we'll come after you. And any other of your pureblood shitbags, to boot_. Who was this man talking about? Who was coming after them? Who told him this absurd idea that seemed to have been spreading from country to country and causing multiple deaths throughout the world?

Bernie seemed to be thinking the exact same thing because when their eyes met, Bernie's face seemed to be burdened with the exact same thoughts that plagued Harry.


	13. Transfiguration

Author's Note: Hello again! Here is another chapter for you today! I really do hope you are all enjoying this story. My husband and I have put a lot of thought into it and we sincerely hope we are conveying it the way we see it in our minds.

That being said, there was probably some mixed feelings about the last chapter that I hope to clear up. Mainly Bill's and Fleur's reaction. Bill was angry, because even though he had a good idea of who Harry was, there was still that off chance that he very well could not have been. Bill invited them to his house to confront him in private, just in case his suspicions were correct, but he still didn't want to take chances. Also, we have to remember that Bill and Fleur have been sitting on their ideas for MONTHS now. The passing of time may have been subtle, but Bill and Fleur's initial conversation happened when she was two months pregnant and now, she is six months along. That type of waiting and wondering can make anyone upset and anxious. Especially when your family is on the line.

Second, Harry was still surprised at Bill's anger. Yes, Harry is an incredibly powerful wizard and could easily take on Bill with all his Auror training, but Bill also has YEARS of curse breaking for the Ministry under his belt and he is in no way incompetent. Harry doesn't want to draw attention to himself, so he has been using his magic as little as possible, especially with having the Elder Wand at his disposal. If he were to just whip out every spell he knew whenever something upset him, he would be found out.

I am trying to keep the characters as realistic and true to canon as possible. That means, yes, there are other wizards that can match Harry, especially when practicing his magic is not his first priority. Everyone needs to train and practice to become great, even if they have an innate talent for something. That also means, yes, Harry is an extremely powerful wizard. We just haven't seen exactly how powerful he truly is. And I promise, it's coming.

I hope this helped even in the slightest. I know it's a lot but I don't want anyone to go on confused, especially when we're getting into the thick of things.

As always, we really appreciate your reviews! Please let us know what you think and we hope you enjoy this chapter!

~oOo~

The crowd dispersed as soon as the man began walking away. Cautious whispers filled the air that Harry couldn't quite understand, and the buzzing of words only made Harry's head spin more at the thought at what he had just seen.

The man that was attacked wasn't injured except for a bloody nose and a scraped elbow from falling. Bernie's Wiggenweld potion and healing spell made short work of helping the man with his ailments, and he was sent on his way.

Bernie gave Harry a look pregnant with hidden meaning, informing him that they needed to have a discussion immediately.

They quickly made haste into the confines of the apothecary and Bernie instantly made a beeline for his office. Harry followed suit and made sure to flip the sign of the apothecary door from Open to Closed and locking the door before making his way to the office as well.

Closing the door after Harry, Bernie sat down in his chair and twiddled his fingers together, plainly puzzled at what they had witnessed.

Harry was the first to speak. "What the bloody hell was that about?"

"I don't know," Bernie replied, his face strained from thought. "But whatever it is, isn't good."

As if a sudden thought had struck him, Bernie stood up abruptly and made his way over to his small bookcase that housed Harry's secret potions room. However, he did not go for the little golden book. Instead, he reached for a large volume that was nearly falling apart toward the beginning, the edges fraying and stains and tears covering every page. The most interesting thing Harry noticed about this book was that it was newer at the end. In fact, there were at least a whole two to three hundred pages that were in pristine condition.

"Bernie, what is that?" Harry inquired, curiosity getting the better of him.

Bernie was shuffling quickly through the pages, trying to hunt down exactly what he was looking for. "Don't you know a history book when you see one?" he said without looking up. "Oh wait, I forget you had an inferior education in terms of potions and history. Unlike Beauxbatons."

"Sweet Merlin, not you too." Harry sighed. "Gabrielle and I already discuss this enough."

"And you love every minute of it."

Unable to help himself, Harry jeered out a sarcastic laugh before he replied, "I didn't know you went to Beauxbatons."

"I do live in France, now don't I?" Bernie taunted back, still thrumming through the pages. "Ah ha." Stopping on one of the frail-looking pages, Bernie's fingers stopped and his eyes began scanning the words.

As though he didn't even pause his perusing, Bernie once again began flipping through the pages, only to sound out his noise of discovery and pause again to read. In the same fashion, he continued until Harry finally said, "Bernie, what exactly are you looking for?"

"Patterns," Bernie said tersely, flipping through the pages again and landing on a cleaner page than before.

Harry's eye twitched with impatience as he waited for Bernie to elaborate. Harry had learned his lesson when it came to interrupting Bernie while he was hunting down information, and decided to bide his time.

"Just as I thought," Bernie said, snapping the massive book shut and walking back over to the bookcase to stow it away.

"What?" Harry asked.

"Young Harry, one thing you need to learn and learn fast, is that history repeats itself," Bernie said as he sat back down into his chair, rubbing the heels of his hands over his eyes. "There's always a trend."

"You're saying this has happened before?" Harry asked, disbelief dripping in every syllable.

Lowering his hands, Bernie nearly scoffed at his ignorance. "No, you twat, not this exactly. But if you paid any attention in your History of Magic class, you should have noticed that anything big that happened, like a war for instance, always started with something small. And almost always involving the common man."

In all honesty, all Harry could remember from Professor Binn's History of Magic classes were a bunch of Goblin raids in some obscure year or even passing out and having his vision of Sirius, but never any patterns in riots or wars. Then again, maybe he didn't notice because he never paid attention…

"So, what did you find?" Harry asked, glancing back to the book that Bernie had stashed away.

"Just as I expected," Bernie replied, leaning back into his chair and looking at his fingernails as though he couldn't think of anything else better to do with his eyes or hands as he thought. "Something is going to happen whether we want it to or not. It's been happening this whole time since you disappeared; I just didn't want to admit it."

Harry lowered his head in shame before Bernie caught on to what he was feeling, "Oh knock it off boy. These incidences have hardly anything to do with you. You're not that special so stop acting like everything bad in this world is a direct result of your own selfish choice."

Taken aback by Bernie's direct accusation, Harry held his head high in an attempt to counteract what Bernie was telling him.

In reply, Bernie sighed and said, "You're allowed to be selfish and live your own life, you know?"

Harry's shoulders relaxed considerably at the utterance of these words. It felt as though a great weight had been lifted and every single action and thought was finally justified. He knew he had a right to his own desires and actions, but hearing them out loud poured confidence into Harry that he didn't know was there.

Sitting straighter than he had before, Harry heard the rest of what Bernie had to say. "Like I was saying before, something's going to happen. And I don't think the general public knows the severity of it yet. They're only paying attention to the publicized deaths."

"How can you tell?" Harry asked.

"Well, that's the kicker, now isn't it?" Bernie's sigh was almost masked as a frustrated growl. "I doubt anyone other than us, and maybe Pierre truly knows that something is going awry. And fast."

"What can we do?" Harry questioned. His brain was immediately going into Auror mode, trying to think up every single distinct possibility that they could throttle and thwart before the threat became too much of a problem to handle. "I mean, we could exhaust every one of our resources trying to get any type of infor—"

"It's not as easy as being an Auror," Bernie said, his annoyance showing through. "I've seen this type of thing before. No amount of brute force or Auror training is going to help you here. You'll have to exercise every bit of cunning and conniving parts of your personality to figure this one out."

Scrunching his eyebrows together, Harry shook his head, ready to retaliate. "Bernie, if you don't recall that's all we really needed to defeat Voldemort. We came at him and every single one of his Horcruxes, one by one. We attacked him directly with each one of those Horcruxes with all the power we had. We did the same thing with his Death Eaters too."

"That's a boy's answer," Bernie growled. "How soon you forget the ones that have died for you."

Insulted and angered by Bernie's comment, Harry immediately defended himself, his voice threateningly low. "Don't ever say that I forget that people have died for me. I am well aware of that fact."

"Then act like it," Bernie stated authoritatively. "Or perhaps you forgot about your own godfather's brother Regulus? Or perhaps Severus Snape or even Albus? You think they ran into the fight, balls swinging to take him down? No. They worked behind the scenes in the most secretive and cunning ways imaginable to save everyone who is alive today. And it's about time you learn some-what is it called?—Slytherin-traits? The cunning one. Because you are obviously lacking."

Everything Bernie was saying made complete sense in Harry's mind, so he simply nodded, even though he was a still insulted. It's not like he didn't know that you needed a certain level of cunning to get what you wanted, but doing nothing was not on his radar.

Unfortunately, he knew everything Bernie said was right, even if his brain couldn't completely wrap around the idea of sitting and biding his time. He felt he had done enough of that in the wilderness, searching for Voldemort's Horcruxes and he didn't like the idea of doing that again to some unknown threat. Nevertheless, Harry resigned himself to this fact and said, "So, what do we do?"

"I'd say we sit back and watch. If things get too bad, we'll maybe look into it. But don't do anything rash." Bernie waggled his finger in Harry's face as he said this. "And inform me of anything you see or hear. We'll discuss it together. Gabrielle too, seeing as anything you hear you probably tell her anyway."

Suppressing a sigh, Bernie magicked himself a cup of tea and said, "Now, go back out there and open the shop back up. I'm losing galleons by the second."

~oOo~

A few more weeks had passed and Bill and Fleur had kept true to their word. As far as Harry knew, they hadn't told a soul, and he was extremely grateful for keeping his identity in their confidence.

Harry and Gabrielle grew closer and closer as time went on. She was now going to his apartment in the mornings and evenings to study and be closer to the apothecary before her lesson. Harry would have his lesson with Bernie first, and then he would go open up the shop while Gabrielle had hers. Afterward, she would make her way back to Apollo Gardens to work and when the day had finished, she would either be waiting at his flat or Harry would go to Delacour mansion to spend time with her and study or help in the Gardens if needed.

Unsurprisingly, Gabrielle had begun advancing rather quickly in her studies with Bernie. She already had experience with handling rare ingredients, so she completely skipped the entire first portion of her Mastery that Harry had dauntingly studied over for months.

They began discussing the finer intricacies of potions and brewing, much to Harry's delight because she always had some brilliant insights. She would also come to Harry in times of confusion during her studying and Harry would, in turn, explain the bits that were troubling her.

The pair made a brilliant team, helping each other with studying and understanding potions to a degree that they didn't have previously.

There was one particular evening when Harry was rereading some of the notes that Bernie had given him to peruse. Gabrielle leaned back in her seat and stretched her back as she leaned toward him to plant a kiss on his cheek. When Harry looked up from the notes, she was rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Falling asleep?" Harry said, smirking.

"Just a bit." She replied. "I almost don't want to stop though. Bernie makes everything so interesting."

Harry nodded in agreement. "Yeah, he really does." He rubbed at his own eyes and ruffled up his hair a bit before saying, "It is getting late though." He looked down at his pocket watch he received for his seventeenth birthday. "Yeah, it's almost eleven."

A strangled and gargled groan escaped Gabrielle as she put her head on the table.

Unable to help himself, Harry chuckled and said, "What in the world was that noise for?"

"My butt is glued to this chair and no one can tell me otherwise." She muttered into her arms on the table, her hair splayed about across her book.

Harry almost laughed again but a sudden thought made him pause. "You could just stay here if you wanted." Harry felt himself holding his breath as he waited for her answer, not realizing how much he actually wanted her to stay with him, if even for a night.

Slowly, Gabrielle lifted her head from the table. "Hmmm." She rubbed at her chin thoughtfully. "That is definitely an option."

Harry tried to hide the smile that was playing on his lips as their eyes met. "I'll sleep out here so you can have the bed."

"Oh please Harry, I'm not going to kick you out of your own bed," Gabrielle said. "Either I sleep out here on your sofa, or we share the bed."

Against his will, he felt a familiar hardening in his trousers at the very thought of having Gabrielle in his bed. _Oh boy, oh boy._ Harry thought, shifting his weight in a way that would conceal this not-so-welcome friend.

As tantalizing as that was for Harry, he still told her that he would take the sofa.

"I guess I'll just go back to my parents' place then. I wouldn't feel right doing that to you in your own flat."

Gabrielle began packing up her items before Harry hastily responded a little too loudly, "No." He shifted his weight and ran his fingers through his hair again and said, "I would love for you to stay. I just didn't want to do anything you weren't okay with."

She stood up and glided over to where Harry was sitting. She placed her arms around his neck and bent him back to kiss him. "This is something I'm definitely okay with, Harry." She said, giving him a gentle squeeze. "I'm just surprised you didn't bring it up earlier. I've been waiting for the offer for a while now."

"Guess I was just worried that I'd scare you off is all," Harry replied. It was true in a sense. He was slightly worried because he and Ginny had been together for three years before this point and she didn't even want to stay the night with him most days. When they did move in together, Harry was excited, but it felt forced for Ginny.

He didn't want to come off too strong to Gabrielle. But then again, he'd barely done anything with her other than kiss and make out with her. He had a challenging time hiding his desire for her, but this conversation led him to believe that maybe Gabrielle wanted more than he was giving.

Excitement flooded through his veins at this prospect. He stood up and said, "I'll get everything situated then."

Gabrielle cleaned up their books and notes and set them aside before she made tea for the pair of them. She glided into the bedroom and Harry was just about to leave when she said, "No need. Just stay in here."

Harry stuck to his spot. "Are...you sure?" he asked.

"Of course, Dear, it's not that big of a deal." Gabrielle nearly sang as she set the tea down. She moved over to Harry's mirror and transfigured her clothes into comfortable silk pajamas.

Harry chuckled to himself to which Gabrielle questioned. "What was that laugh for?"

"Oh," Harry said, cheeks turning red. "I just…thought you were going to- I didn't expect transfigured—"

A musical laugh left Gabrielle as she sauntered over to where he was standing. His hands immediately fell on her swaying hips and he pulled her close as she kissed him passionately. Their tongues slid against each other and a soft mewling sigh left Gabrielle and brushed against Harry's mouth. It was so quiet, Harry could barely register that any noise had escaped her, but the effect on Harry was tremendous.

Harry gripped her harder as he tried to refrain from bucking his hips against her. Her scent was irresistible, and her Veela beauty was becoming overwhelmingly more difficult to resist by the second.

However, his resistance was futile. Gabrielle moved her hands from his shoulders to around his waist and hips. She pulled him flush against her, tighter than they had ever been before in a way that almost seemed desperate.

At this moment, all sense had fled Harry. He kissed her harder, enough to push her backward onto his bed. When the backs of her calves hit the side, she gracefully and slowly slid down, without breaking their kiss, till she was laying down.

Her hands ran through his hair, pulling him closer to her as Harry's hand slid down her leg and brought it up around his waist.

The silk pajamas glided across Harry's skin tantalizingly, and Harry reached up to undo the buttons before he stopped himself. Instead, his hand wandered up into her hair and he pressed the proof of his desire between her legs instead.

They both gasped at the sensation, and Gabrielle responded by taking his hand and placing it on her breast. Harry squeezed the soft flesh gently and kneaded it as he kissed her desperately.

Both of Gabrielle's legs found their way around his torso as he shifted himself to rest on top of her.

Harry could hardly think straight, and every time he opened his eyes to look at Gabrielle, her beauty was intoxicating. She seemed to be nearly glowing and her skin and hair felt like silk and cool water.

There were a few moments when Harry almost blacked out and the only thing that mattered was snogging the life out of her and trying to get as close to her as possible. At one point, Harry pulled back because he came to his senses, concerned that he was having lapses of judgment.

He pulled away from her, ceasing their kisses and caresses on her body to stare into her sparkling blue eyes. His gaze went out of focus for a second before he apologized. "Gabrielle, I'm sorry. I keep losing myself. I don't know what's happening."

Sheepishly and looking slightly guilty, Gabrielle blushed. "That would be my fault, Harry." She said, still holding onto him to keep him close. "I'm afraid that would be the Veela in me. I'm incredibly attracted to you, so it sort of pulls you in without me realizing."

Without letting her go, Harry moved out from between her legs and propped himself on his elbow next to her in the bed. "Is that something you can control?" Harry asked, leaning in and kissing the base of her neck softly. His hand continued to move up and down her body appreciatively as she turned turn face him.

She arched under his touch, wanting more and missing the pressure he gave her from the intimate closeness from before. "It's something I've tried before, and I think I've got it down. Let me try again."

Her face screwed up in concentration, Harry noticed the aura around her that he observed before went down considerably, but his feelings for her were just as strong, if not more. His desperate need for her had not gone away, but his head was definitely clearer in a sense that he didn't feel bad for it anymore.

Her eyes widened a bit at the change _. It must have been noticeable._ Harry thought. She suddenly appeared to be sad, but Harry couldn't help himself and kissed her silly again.

Relieved, Harry felt her smile beneath their kiss and he affectionately cupped the side of her face, their movements not quite as desperate, but still fueled with passion and tenderness.

Panting from their kiss, Gabrielle stated. "I was afraid for a second that you were only kissing me for my Veela appeal."

"Gabrielle, I could never love you just for that," Harry said, kissing her forehead. "In fact, I've taken things so slow because I don't want you to think that I only wanted to be with you because you're a quarter Veela."

She smiled at him shyly and he moved a strand of hair behind her ear. "I love you, Gabrielle."

Her eyes twinkled mischievously as she responded, "I love you too, Goblin face."

Harry chuckled with her at their joke and he replied hastily, "Hey now, that's Jake's face, not mine."

"Same face, different hair so I see no difference."

Laughing together, they both decided to turn in for the night. Gabrielle turned and Harry wrapped his arm around her, bringing her close. The scent of her hair filled his nose and tickled him before he was able to shift and brush her hair away enough to get comfortable and breathe easily.

It was the best sleep Harry had gotten in ages.

~oOo~

More disturbing articles made their way into the newspapers. But while they were concerning, Harry, Bernie, and Gabrielle honestly couldn't tell if they were all related. After the first initial incident that Harry and Bernie had personally witnessed, Harry began to see it crop up more and more.

One day soon after Gabrielle stayed the night the first time, they were on a small date walking down wizarding Paris when another shouting match broke out on the streets.

Nothing too terrible happened other than insulting and name calling, but the accused pureblood family cowered away as they tried to keep the attention from themselves.

Men and women of different ages and positions were coming out and verbally assaulting people on the street they supposedly suspected to be pureblood.

Both Harry and Bernie felt there was more to the situation than met the eye, mainly because of the random deaths that were still occurring in all the other countries.

Pierre had assured them that the Ministry was deploying all able-bodied Aurors to try and figure out what the root of the problem was, to no avail.

Eventually, Harry just chalked up all the incidences as one big coincidence, although the very thought still left him feeling extremely uneasy. He wasn't satisfied with sitting back and watching everything unfold, which he brought up later with Bernie.

"Sweet Merlin boy, if you're that desperate and itching to fight, why don't you just start training?"

"What do you mean?" Harry inquired, ultimately putting a halt to his current task and his constant grumbling.

"I mean, start training yourself up instead of sitting there and running your gob at me." Bernie moved across the room and began closing up shop for the day.

Harry considered this proposal. "Okay." He said, nodding as the idea looked better and better by the second. "I've had enough Auror training to start up again."

"Bah!" Bernie scoffed. "Those mad soldiers who don't know when to lie low and rush into a fight? Merlin, help us all."

Furrowing his brows, Harry turned toward Bernie after counting the money in the drawer. "At least I know how to fight."

"Not with any real skill," Bernie stated matter-of-factly. "I've seen Aurors from all ministries in action and their biggest fault is that they don't think things through to the degree that is the most efficient."

"Then what do you suggest I do, Oh Great One?"

Bernie quirked an eyebrow thoughtfully and fully turned to face Harry, scrutinizing him. "How are your transfiguration skills?"

"Transfiguration?" Harry blanched. "You're joking?"

"Do I look like I'm fucking with you?" Bernie said, holding his arms out smugly.

Harry scratched his head and replied, "I guess I've never really looked at the subject since school. I would say I'm about average."

"Hmm." Bernie hummed. "Transfiguration can be more helpful in battle than most people realize."

With that, Bernie walked away and locked himself in his office once again.

 _I guess it wouldn't hurt to listen to him. He hasn't steered me wrong yet._ Harry thought as he prepared to leave.

He decided on the spot to make his way to the bookstore and purchase a few transfiguration textbooks to brush up on the subject and maybe see what Bernie was talking about.

Like usual, Gabrielle met him at the door of his flat and greeted him with a kiss. When they stepped inside, she perused the stack of books Harry bought and questioned him on his choice of reading.

"Bernie said to brush up on my Transfiguration. He said it could be useful for dueling, but I don't really see how."

Gabrielle stared at the books thoughtfully. "I guess I can see where he's coming from." She countered, opening one of the books and skimming over some of the pages. "If your opponent isn't expecting to defend himself against a bunch of transfigured spiders or his spell to be blocked by a giant stone turned bird with an _Avirfors_ spell or something, I'd suspect they'd be rather taken aback."

"Yeah, but that's the only thing I can think of, really," Harry replied, also skimming through some of the books. "Although it makes me wonder what he has in mind. Take a look at this."

Harry stood up and walked over to his desk to retrieve his potions notes. One by one, he set out the pages of notes in order of the recipe, including his own written out copy of notes with changes that were covered in red ink. He brought his quill with him for good measure, knowing sometimes his best ideas came to him when he talked about them out loud.

"Harry, you know this is way beyond my skill level right now," Gabrielle said, shaking her head as though she were afraid to even look at the ink on the pages.

"Yes, but you'll understand basic potions properties, yes?"

"Well, yeah."

"Okay so look at this." Harry pointed out the ingredients list and then their specific preparation. "This potion is supposed to turn a man into stone by merely touching them. It's called The Draught of Medusa."

Gabrielle nodded, prompting him to continue.

"The main ingredients are Granian Hair, Salpeter, Scale of Dragon, and Wartizone." Harry pointed to each one respectively and Gabrielle's brows immediately furrowed as she saw the problem.

Harry kept talking out the problem, "The issue is that Granian Hair and Scale of Dragon create a poisonous property, a noxious gas, within the potion that we don't want. We could be paralyzed from one whiff. However, the Scale of Dragon is what changes the skin to stone and makes the potion work. I cannot take out the Granian Hair because that particular ingredient is what gives the potion the ability to work by touch alone. And I can't just add a Bezor to cancel out the poison because that would take away the main properties of the entire potion and render it useless."

Nodding her head, Gabrielle flipped through the pages. "Keep talking it out. Maybe something will come to you?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure." Harry said, "I've been stuck on this all week and the only thing I can think of is that I need to change the properties of one of the ingredients."

"Maybe there's something in the transfiguration books you bought that allows for a transfiguration of the actual substance, but you still end up keeping the magical properties."

Harry nodded his head apprehensively. "There could be. That's the main reason I went and bought these books today. It felt like a lifeline that Bernie gave me even though we were talking about dueling."

Stacking the papers, Gabrielle quickly tidied up the table and grabbed one of the books. "I could help if you'd like. I always loved Transfiguration."

"By all means, please," Harry said as he moved the stack of books closer. "I just hope to find something that I can use by next week. I'm supposed to have the recipe for this potion edited and rewritten and ready to try by then."

With that, they began reading. They made short work of the books in front of them over the course of a few days and Gabrielle continued to stay the night at his flat.

Her parents didn't really comment on the fact that Gabrielle was staying the night, which both relieved Harry and bothered him at the same time.

He knew there was a possibility that they didn't quite approve, but she was going on nineteen. And it wasn't like his twenty-three years were much more than her at this point. She was a full-grown woman through and through. A fact that frequently left Harry in a state of want every time he thought of the feel of her breasts and the eagerness she displayed when they kissed.

Which had become much more frequent, much to Harry's delight.

More than once he had caught her wandering to the kitchen for a cup of tea and he would come up behind her, wrap his arms around her and snog her till they were both panting.

Every once in a while, Gabrielle would purposefully send out a wave of her Veela aura and Harry would forget everything for that moment. He knew what he was doing and could very well stop at any moment, but his desire was instantaneous and so intense that he nearly drooled even at the sight of her.

She would kiss him back just as passionately, running her fingers through his hair and pressing her body against his.

"How are you able to do that?" Harry asked one evening, panting as they broke apart. "Is it common to be able to control your Veela side?"

Gabrielle let out a soft giggle at Harry's bewildered look as he stepped back to control himself. "I don't actually think it's something that's very common." She said, swiping his messy hair to the side. It had gotten longer over the last few months and now reached to just below his ears. "Fleur can't do anything like it from what I know. She just kind of always has her appeal reaching out. But I learned how to manipulate it a few years ago."

"Because of all the unwanted attention?" Harry answered for her.

"Precisely." Gabrielle nodded.

"I guess I did notice the catcallers went down considerably after that first encounter we experienced together," Harry remembered the anger he felt at that situation, ready to hex that man into oblivion.

Resting her hands on his side, Gabrielle said, "Except that used to be a daily occurrence. I couldn't go anywhere without something happening. So, I forced myself to find a way to curb that aura I give off."

Harry nodded his head, amazed at the sheer concentration and power she must have to successfully complete such a feat.

"I really hope I haven't made you feel like that since we've been together, Love," Harry muttered into her ear.

She moved ever so slightly to position her mouth right against Harry's ear. Her cool breath made the hair on Harry's body stand as she whispered, "Never. In fact, I welcome it."

He felt her Pull encompass him and then it subsided. Even with the absence of her Veela aura, he had never been so turned on in his life and thus, the snogging continued.

Their moments together became more and more intimate. She tried to control her Veela appeal as much as possible, but Harry knew that took a lot of concentration on her part, especially when she was turned on.

During one of the makeout sessions they had before they went to sleep, Harry ventured a little further than usual, and gently placed his fingers between her legs. The simple action caused her Veela appeal to burst out as she gasped at the sudden contact. Harry nearly jumped on her at that moment, surprised and wholly transfixed as he was.

Much in the same way, Gabrielle also began reaching down and stroked him appreciatively, making Harry shudder at the pleasurable way her fingers slid across him.

So pleasurable in fact that studying for the coming week became increasingly difficult.

Harry wasn't much of a reader or studier to begin with, but the topic interested him enough to hold his attention long enough to write some notes down.

He did find in one of his advanced Transfiguration books that it is theoretically possible to change the properties of particular ingredients, but Harry had no idea how to complete this feat in the world of potions.

The notes from his readings would always be covering his table and Bernie would not be of any help in this endeavor.

He was aware that if the ingredients were transfigured, the potion could either work wonderfully or explode the entire shop.

Either way, Harry decided to go along with what he found, writing out every articulate detail and hope for the best.

His plan was: Make the potion as initially written. Once he reached the dodgy section, he would transfigure the ingredient inside the potion right before it could react with the other ingredients. The stirring motion after the ingredient is added would be the likely cause of the explosion, so he would let the properties seep into the liquid before changing it to something a little less volatile.

The theory of it would work. Whether Harry could execute it successfully was a different story.

Before Harry knew it, Friday had approached, Gabrielle gave him a good luck kiss, and he was ready to be tested.

Bernie hovered over him as Harry began. Right before he started, Bernie came over and switched out his regular cauldron with his shiny gold one, complete with the golden ladle. Harry wondered if he'd already made a mistake by missing a possible reaction against the ingredients and the metal of the cauldron, but he simply shook it off and started his brewing as though nothing had happened.

This brewing process was grueling and stressful beyond belief. Every move Harry made could have been the difference between success and failure, and possibly life or death.

Harry had all of his notes spread out on the wall in front of him with the help of a sticking charm so he could see each word clearly. One by one he completed each step, often receiving approving nods from Bernie in response to a changed or altered direction.

Hands steady, Harry eventually approached the moment he was dreading.

The Dragon Scales were working correctly within the potion already, and the time came to add the Granian Hair.

Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Bernie take out his wand, knowing that this section would be the most challenging part.

Withdrawing his own wand, Harry felt the heat of the potion and carefully measured out his Granian Hair as the potion simmered.

 _Exactly five ounces._ Harry thought to himself as he talked himself through the steps calmly. His heartbeat began to race in his chest, worry spreading over him at the prospect of the impending disaster if his theory didn't work.

He dropped the Granian Hair down in one big clump.

Immediately, Bernie tried to push Harry aside, "That's enough, boy—"

"Wait," Harry commanded. He was timing the exact amount of time he needed for the properties to seep into the potion. With any luck, the Wartizone will draw out the properties naturally.

 _Three, two, one._ The potion began to fizz ominously, and Harry lifted his wand and muttered the spell to transfigure the Granian Hair into Standard Potion Ingredient.

Harry held his breath as he took hold of the golden ladle and began to stir. Bernie was practically breathing down his neck, wand at the ready.

 _Two stirs counterclockwise. Three stirs clockwise. One more counterclockwise. Simmer for three days at forty-three degrees Celsius._ A few bubbles popped on the surface, and then silence…

He did it. The potion didn't explode or poison them, or anything else that could have happened.

Harry let out his held breath and turned around. The look on Bernie's face was one of pure astonishment. His wand was held aloft loosely, and he was staring at the potion that was being left to simmer for the next few days.

"Sweet fuck, Harry," Bernie muttered. "How in Merlin's name did you figure that out?"

Somewhat taken aback, Harry responded, "Well, you asked me to?" Looking around and slightly uncomfortable, he stood there awkwardly and said, "Was the transfiguration comment from you the other day a hint oooor-?"

"Yes it was, but I honestly didn't expect you to figure it out." Bernie walked over briskly to the potion and looked into its depths, examining it and Harry's pages of notes.

"Gee thanks, Bernie."

"Don't mention it," Bernie replied sarcastically, winking at Harry from the side. "Wow. Well done, boy. I can honestly say that I am thoroughly impressed."

 _He didn't say that often._ Harry decided to take the compliment at face value. "Thank you."

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Bernie muttered under his breath, reading through Harry's notes. "Well, in celebration, I give you full access to my office. I know you have the key already, but you've proven yourself. You may brew in here whenever you want. Just let me know ahead of time. Once Gabrielle reaches your level, you can bring her in too. Although, to be honest, I don't think she could do what you just did."

"She actually helped me figure out the transfiguration side of it," Harry said on her behalf. "She just didn't know how to put it into practice."

"Exactly. That's where you two differ." Bernie stated, gathering up the papers and began clean up with Harry. "She is a brilliant and bright young witch. But in the year and a half that I have taught you, you have shown great skill in seeing things the way no one else sees them. It will be your greatest strength."

Harry nodded in agreement. He hoped he could truly live up to Bernie's words.


	14. The New Roommate

Author's Note: Hello everyone! Here is your next chapter! I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter as many things have occurred in the past two weeks. One being, I am still in Korea visiting my husband. We have also managed to get the flu and I didn't want to write when I knew we wouldn't be at our fullest potential.

That being said, I was really intimidated by this chapter because, as you've guessed it, Harry and Gabrielle's relationship is growing by the second. I went back and forth on whether or not I actually wanted to write a scene with Lemons or not and I finally decided, 'Fuck it! Why not?' So if you don't like Lemons, don't read this chapter.

Regardless, I hope you still enjoy reading our story and we appreciate your reviews and insights and guesses. Thank you all!

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter, all rights belong to J. K. Rowling.

~oOo~

After Harry successfully completed his transfigured potion, Bernie began scrutinizing him to the point that Harry started to feel uncomfortable.

He would catch Bernie watching him as he worked the register, as he brewed his potions, and as he cleaned the apothecary, as well as many other points throughout his day.

Harry almost asked him what he was looking for and if he liked the view, but Bernie would always turn away at the last second.

Not only was he practically studying Harry, but Bernie also seemed to be really distracted. Once or twice, Harry saw him staring down into his lap as he sat at the counter. A cautious glance told Harry it was a photograph, but he couldn't get a good enough look at it to be sure.

But one thing Harry did notice: Bernie was becoming more antsy by the second. The man just could not sit still to save his life. Every so often, he would rush over to the window, a second later he would sit in his chair while he bopped his knee up and down for what seemed like hours, then rush to the backroom, then to his office. The constant moving around was driving Harry crazy that he had to refrain from commenting on his squirrelly behavior.

During one of the more boring days, Bernie could barely contain himself in his seat. Harry couldn't even tell if he was happy or upset about whatever was troubling him.

"Bernie, if you keep this up, you're going to disapparated on accident," Harry commented snidely.

"Oh, shut up," Bernie grumbled as he turned around from the window and made his way back to his office. "I actually have something I need to talk to you about."

Quirking an eyebrow at the unexpected conversation, Harry sat up a little straighter to prompt Bernie to continue.

Almost instantly, Bernie started talking, "I'm going to be gone more frequently starting Friday. It's possible I could be gone till Wednesday next week. You still have that key I gave you for my office, right?"

Feeling for the chain around his neck, Harry held up the small golden key so Bernie could see it himself.

"Good. Since you now have full access to my office, I give you full control of the apothecary while I'm gone. If Gabrielle wants to help, by all means, she may. Though for the love of all things Holy, keep it PG, okay?" Bernie smirked at his own joke at Harry's expense as he could feel his cheeks turning red.

Bernie continued. "I'll be gone this entire weekend. I only plan on having the apothecary open on Saturday so you can have Sunday for brewing your next potion. Don't do any experimental potions, though. I won't be able to help. You can look over those notes that I don't want leaving the office."

Harry nodded his head in understanding as Bernie explained what he was to do for that weekend. Apparently, this was going to become a frequent thing for Bernie to be gone suddenly, and Harry's curiosity got the better of him.

"Bernie, why will you be gone?"

"I'm just out on business, boy. Have to get those rare ingredients from somewhere." Replied Bernie, although Harry thought he sounded a bit sarcastic.

Harry narrowed his eyes at this explanation and nodded his head slightly. _Sounds suspicious, but okay, I guess._

At the end of the day, Bernie took him into his office and showed him where everything was in his desk. The main things he needed to keep track of were the ledgers book for any new orders, the spare key, and the money deposit safe (behind a large painting behind his desk). Harry already knew where his notes were and set them inside Bernie's desk for later perusal.

The men finished their work and closed the shop up for the night.

Like clockwork, Gabrielle was waiting for Harry outside his flat. She stood lightly on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on the cheek, her hand lingering slightly on his arm as he bade her inside.

Gabrielle immediately sat down at the table and put her head in her hands out of pure exhaustion.

"Rough day today?" Harry asked as he banished the glamours on him. He sat down next to her and summoned some tea onto the stove.

Gabrielle sighed. "Mum had to leave in the middle of the day. Papa is going downhill again. It seems Bernie's potions aren't working as well as they have been before."

"Ah," Harry replied, unsure of what he could do to comfort her. "What all do you have to do to help Bernie create a new potion for him?"

Gabrielle grabbed her almost silvery hair at the nape of her neck and pulled it all to one side. "We have to go to St. Mungos and draw some blood. That's all Bernie really asks for, and we don't know why it's the blood he needs. We just know that whatever he does, works."

Trying to understand better, Harry inquired, "What does St. Mungos say it is exactly?"

"They don't even know. They've ruled out all curses, jinxes, and blood curses. No diseases from animals either. The best explanation we've got is that it's attacking his magical core. St. Mungos wouldn't do anything, so Bernie said he would take a stab at it. So far, he's been successful. But for how much longer?"

Gabrielle sighed again after a beat of silence and then said, "It's not as bad as it has been. But that's how it always starts before his magic starts attacking him again."

Harry pressed his lips together in thought as he stood up to grab the tea. He fixed it the way she liked and set her cup down in front of her. She gratefully sipped at the mug of steaming tea as they sat together in reflective silence.

"I'm sorry your family has to go through this," Harry said. "When did it start?"

"It started a bit after the Final Battle at Hogwarts I believe. Although I think he was showing symptoms before then."

"I see," Harry replied.

They sat together, contemplating what could be the cause of Pierre's illness. Harry squeezed her hand gently and said, "We should go to bed, dear."

She nodded her agreement and stood from her seat, placing her mug in the sink.

She went over to the dresser and grabbed her clothes for the night. She had begun leaving articles of clothing at his place since she started sleeping over regularly and Harry had even cleaned out a drawer for her to use.

Harry watched her open and close her drawer, twirling around gracefully to confront his stares.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked, smiling slightly at his wondering and appreciative gaze.

He sauntered over to her, a smirk playing on his lips. "I have a thought." He bent over and started kissing the side of her neck.

Her smile played out entirely. "Oh, do go on." Her voice was laced with sarcastic anticipation and she grabbed Harry's shirt and pulled him close, but didn't quite kiss him. She circled him seductively, and their eyes met again when they were face to face.

Harry laughed at her playfulness but turned serious. "I was just thinking you could move in with me. If you want."

"What?" She stopped her playful movements, eyes wide. "Move in with you? Here?"

"Y-yeah," Harry said, running his hand through his hair. "I mean—we've been dating and together for over a year now. Almost two. I was just thinking—"

Gabrielle placed a slender finger over his mouth to silence his oncoming rambling. She leaned in and brushed her lips across his and said, "There was never a question, Harry. Of course, I'll move in with you. I'll tell my parents and start packing."

Harry's heart soared with happiness and excitement. "I can have the place ready for you by Friday."

"That would be perfect." She led him over to the bed and wrapped one of her legs around him as they settled in. They kissed for what felt like only a second and an eternity in the same breath before they finally decided to try and sleep, giggling together at the excitement caused by their decision.

~oOo~

Throughout the rest of the week, there seemed to be a new dynamic with Harry and Gabrielle's relationship. While they were always kissing, there was an added tension that was not previously there before. And it was driving Harry mad.

He found Gabrielle so attractive it hurt him to even be in the same room at times. So much so, that more than once he hauled off to the bathroom to try and take care of a particular itch he had before he either snogged the life out of her or decided to take her for the first time on his small kitchen table without so much as a second thought.

Each day seemed to get more intense leading up to Gabrielle moving in with Harry, and she appeared to be equally turned on, if not more.

In fact, Gabrielle was often the source of their snogging sessions. It was all Harry could do to keep his head from spinning with desire any time she walked in the room, let alone when she was actively kissing him.

The best part about the whole situation was that even though they would be passionately kissing one second, they would burst out in laughter together the next. Their friendship continued to grow stronger, just as their sexual tension became almost unbearable to ignore.

This was definitely something that was new to Harry. He had never felt so comfortable with someone that he felt utterly free to laugh openly, even when he wanted to desperately have sex with her at the same time. It was a stark contrast in comparison to his past relationship with Ginny.

Ginny had always been so desperate to prove herself to be strong and tough, and growing up with her six older brothers probably influenced her personality to shy away from anything that made her appear weak. Harry couldn't fault her for that, as he knew he had his own complications. He just wanted affection from someone who didn't make it feel like work; that loved him for who he was. Because one thing the Dursleys definitely lacked in when he was growing up was making him feel like a human being worthy of that affection. Ginny's stand-offish demeanor left Harry wanting more than he cared to admit, and he wasn't about to ask for it either. He didn't want to appear weak himself or show that it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

But what Harry was finding was that Gabrielle was so open to giving him that affection and he felt he could truly open up with her and not be afraid of any sort of backlash. He almost started wondering if he and Ginny would have made it as a couple normally, even without the pressure of the Wizarding World expecting so much from him. Thinking of Ginny no longer left Harry feeling empty and hurting, merely sad at the lost relationship, and the prospect of growing closer with Gabrielle only intensified his excitement to be with her.

~oOo~

Friday rolled around with agonizing slowness. Bernie was finishing up the last few items on his checklist before closing up for the day.

"Do I need to go over the rules with you again?" Bernie asked without taking his eyes off the clipboard.

"No, Bernie. I think I can manage." Harry said, waiting for his permission to leave. Naturally, Bernie had figured out that Gabrielle had been staying with Harry over the past couple of months and knew that she would also be moving in with Harry that night. Bernie hadn't mentioned it once the entire day, which Harry thought was odd as he usually had some smart-ass comment.

"Harry, before you leave, I need you to sweep out the back room."

Impatient with the order, Harry finished the job quickly and made to grab his traveling robes before Bernie called out, "Also, I need these containers decontaminated!" He set a large box of containers on the counter and walked away smirking to himself.

Harry huffed out some air and quickly _Scourgified_ each container and set them back in the box, ready for use.

Finally ready to go, Harry's hand was on the doorknob when Bernie called out yet again. "Did you put a stasis charm on the containers?"

"Bernie!" Harry said, whipping around, only to be greeted with laughter coming from Bernie's direction.

"Get out of here." Bernie chuckled as he grabbed the box and carried it to the back. "Don't forget to open the shop tomorrow bright and early!"

Harry waved exasperatedly as he walked out the door and disapparated to Apollo Gardens to meet with Gabrielle.

She was waiting on the large porch with her parents, surrounded by three large suitcases full of her personal items and clothes. Harry ascended the steps and kissed Gabrielle on the cheek and greeted Pierre and Apolline, respectively.

"Now if you need anything, you can always floo back or send an owl," Apolline said, fussing over her suitcases.

"Mum, it's really not that big of a deal. I'll be here every day for work."

"Yes, I suppose." Pierre interrupted. "Still, this is a pretty big step you two are taking," Pierre stated, raising his eyebrows suggestively and giving the couple a pointed look. He leaned into his walking cane a bit more out of necessity.

"I promise I'll take care of her, Sir," Harry said, feeling the need to at least say something.

Pierre smirked a bit. "I'm sure you will, Jake. Just keep in mind; she's still my daughter."

"Papa!" Gabrielle exclaimed, her face turning red.

"Now Gabrielle, I had to assert myself with Bill and Fleur when they moved in together, and I will do the same for you," Pierre said, standing up a bit straighter, although Harry could see it took quite a bit of strength to do so. His illness was beginning to show again, and the cane was definitely new. "You're lucky we've already been through this with Fleur, or I'd feel the need to say a bit more."

Nodding his head in agreement, Harry said, "I understand everything you're saying, Sir."

"Good." Pierre nodded his head once as though permitting the couple to leave.

Harry cast a shrinking charm on her luggage and pocketed the bags within his robes, and they disapparated after a final wave back to her parents.

When they appeared at his flat, Harry dropped his hand from hers to open the door and allow her inside first.

"I cleared a wardrobe for you and tried to tidy up a bit so you have room to put your stuff. Feel free to move whatever you want."

Gabrielle was hardly listening. She twirled about excitedly, her hair flying around her like a golden halo and her smile and laugh permeated the air. "This is so perfect! I'm so excited to be moving in with you!" She took off Harry's glamours and kissed him passionately.

Harry couldn't help but laugh through the kisses. "Well, I only hope you don't get sick of me, Love."

"Please, that could never happen," Gabrielle said happily, twirling once again. "Let's go to an early supper." She stated abruptly.

"Where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere really. Then we can come back, unpack, and relax." Gabrielle was nearly bouncing up and down from her own joy.

"Of course, Love." Harry bent down and kissed her once more, cupping her face gently as his tongue swept across her lips suggestively.

When they parted, she bit her lip and turned from him, took his hand, and proceeded to nearly drag him out of his—their—flat to find a place to eat; after replacing his charms first, that is.

They settled for a magical café that was similar to the Leaky Cauldron, but less dirty and had more light streaming in from the windows.

They were ushered over to a comfortable booth, and they sat and ordered drinks for themselves while they perused the menu. They soon ordered their food and began sipping their drinks while Gabrielle started talking excitedly.

"I honestly didn't know how they would react to me wanting to move in with you, but they were totally cool with it! I just can't believe it! When I was talking to Fleur about it the other day, she even seemed excited for us, and that's saying something as I'm her little sister and all. She tends to be a bit overprotective at times, but I can't fault her for that. With everything that happened at the Triwizard tournament and everything, I don't blame her! Do you remember saving me at the Triwizard Tournament?"

Harry snorted into his drink as Gabrielle barely paused to breathe. "Slow down there before you turn blue." They laughed together and Harry continued, lowering his voice. He looked around to make sure no one was listening in on their conversation and took another precautionary measure and cast a _muffliato_. "Yes, I do remember saving you from the Black Lake."

Gabrielle giggled and smiled, "I sometimes wonder what I would say if I could repeat that moment when I woke up and saw you next to me in the water."

"What brought on this train of thought?" Harry asked, sipping his drink and eyeing her curiously and looking down at their food that just appeared before them.

"Oh, I don't know. I know I was young when that happened. But even if I were older, I wonder if there was anything I could have said to get you to notice me." Gabrielle's cheeks flushed and she looked down sheepishly. "It's just something I've thought of recently."

Harry grinned and said, "You wonder what pick up line there is out there that could possibly grab my attention?" Harry laughed and said, "Well, do go on."

"Wait, what?" Gabrielle replied, eyes widening in surprise.

Harry ruffled his hair and prompted her. "Yeah. Let's hear your best pick-up lines."

Giggling under her breath, she turned away from him a bit, and then dramatically made eye contact, feigning seriousness. "Is that a wand in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?"

Harry's jaw dropped, not expecting those exact words to come out of her mouth. A moment of silence passed between them before they both erupted into fits of laughter.

Still laughing, Harry gasped out, "Okay, okay. My turn." He cleared his throat and feigned seriousness, just like Gabrielle as she graced him with an expectant smile. "Are you a snitch, because I've been seeking you my whole life."

"Good one." She giggled, covering her mouth as she tried to stifle her laughs.

They continued in this fashion until their pickup lines were so ridiculous and turning progressively dirtier with each new line.

Eventually, Harry sighed, his stomach full from his food and placed his hands on the table. "I don't know if I can think of another one."

"Me neither," Gabrielle said, looking out the window at the daylight streaming in through the door. "Would any of those have caught your attention, by chance?" She placed her hand on top of his for a moment, sending butterflies through his stomach and suddenly making him feel very nervous.

Harry's hand twitched under her gentle touch, and he set all joking aside as he took her hand in his. "You don't have to do much to get my attention, Gabrielle. I love you for who you are. And I have since the day I saw you in Bernie's apothecary."

Gabrielle used her other hand to move a piece of her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "I remember that day," Gabrielle said, squeezing his hand a bit. "You looked just like this. Although at this point, I prefer the real you, not this weird double." She gestured to him, indicating his glamours.

Silence followed and Harry only just remembered they were in public as he realized they were both leaning in. I was lost in her eyes again. Those blue eyes that were so easy to gaze into and were so open and willing to accept him and every decision he made.

Harry cleared his throat and leaned back into his seat, looking around to make sure no one saw what almost transpired. A little too late, he remembered he was disguised and didn't need to worry about anyone taking unsolicited photos.

Averting his eyes back to Gabrielle, he felt her pull again. He wanted her, and he wanted her bad. He wanted to make love to her and to explore every inch of her body. He closed his eyes as Gabrielle closed the gap between them and brushed her lips against his, parting in a second.

When he opened his eyes again, he still couldn't shake the feeling that had washed over him. Upon further reflection, he realized it had been there the whole time, but he had been trying to ignore it. Now it was there, unyielding, with the thought of having her in his bed every night.

Gabrielle's eyes closed and squeezed his hand again, as though she too were trying to convince herself not to get carried away in public. The tension was unbearable.

As though they read each other's minds, they both stood up and unanimously walked out of the restaurant together, . Harry's arm wrapped around her waist, and she copied. They walked down the pavement in sync, both breathing heavily and laughing at the others expense if they so happened to trip or tell a lame joke. A few times, Harry swore that her hand wandered down a bit lower than he ever remembered her doing. He wanted to do the same but restrained himself.

They arrived back to their flat, and as soon as they opened the door, Gabrielle pushed Harry against the door as it closed shut with resounding finality. She kissed him passionately, their tongues sliding against each other as she pushed her body against his as though desperate for his touch. They broke apart for a moment for Harry to take off his glamours, which only prompted Gabrielle to kiss him even more passionately than before.

Harry's hands immediately fell to her hips, and he brought her close to him. He reached around and pulled her into an embrace as tight as possible, just to feel her body fully against his. Gabrielle sighed as her mouth moved to Harry's neck, raising the hair from the goosebumps she left from her soft lips.

Gripping the back of his shirt, she separated from him for a moment to look into his eyes. "Harry, I'd be lying to myself if I didn't say I am absolutely and completely in love with you. And I'd also be lying if I didn't say that I want you. I want you so bad it hurts. There's really no other way to describe this feeling I have."

Lifting his hand, Harry placed it timidly on the back of her neck, as though to cradle her head as she looked up at him. "Gabrielle, I feel the same. I just didn't want to overstep. I know you've had troubles in the past with people only wanting you for your veela appeal. I don't want to be one of those people."

"Harry, you have been the farthest thing from acting like any one of those men."

"I know. It's just, after seeing it for myself—"

Gabrielle's finger silenced him. She leaned in and kissed his cheek and said, "Harry, I trust you with everything. And I know you wouldn't intentionally do anything like that…I love you."

A wave of warmth spread through Harry's entire body, and he leaned his head against her shoulders. There had only been a few times when he genuinely believed in those words, and more often than not, they were not ever spoken. Like when he received his first letter from Hagrid inviting him to tea, or the pocket watch he received from Mrs. Weasley on his seventeenth birthday. Gabrielle had said those words with such genuine emotion; he couldn't help but believe them.

Harry lifted his head from her shoulder and kissed her gently. "I love you too, Gabrielle." His hand fell back on her waist, and he smoothly spun her around so she was against the door. He leaned in and kissed her tenderly, concentrating on the feel of her lips sliding against his.

Her arms were back around him as they kissed, one hand gently gripping onto his hair. The pressure from her fingers intertwining through the hair on his scalp felt soothing, and he leaned into her kisses even more.

Panting slightly from their kiss, Harry reluctantly broke apart from Gabrielle and took her hand. He led her into the bedroom and lit his wand for a bit of light after closing the shades. The shadows of the light danced across Gabrielle's features, illuminating her pale skin and nearly turning her hair gold from the glow.

He crossed the room and closed the distance between them, his eyes not leaving her face as his hands searched for the buttons of her shirt. He grinned when he found the top button and leaned in to kiss her as his fingers nimbly undid them one by one.

Gabrielle's breath caught in her throat when the final button undid and her shirt slid off, revealing her bra, her breasts heaving in anticipation. Harry looked down and cupped one gently as he began kissing her neck, slowly making his way down to her chest.

As Harry's mouth drew nearer to her breasts, Gabrielle's head slumped down and kissed the crown of his head. Harry was trying his hardest not to simply jump on her. He wanted her to feel worshipped, and by God, he would take his time, even though his own desire was becoming even more painful by the second.

Harry stood back up and kissed her again, their mouths mating hungrily as he undid the clasp of her bra, or at least tried to. The damn thing wouldn't unclasp. Harry cursed inwardly as he struggled, becoming more impatient and feeling like he was miserably failing a test. Gabrielle sensed his struggling and started laughing.

"What is this? A damn muggle Rubix cube?" Harry said, anxiously working at the hooks and increasingly wanting to start kissing her again with each passing second.

Despite not understand what a Rubix Cube was, Gabrielle still giggled at Harry's despair. Harry's hands stilled their fiddling as Gabrielle leaned in close to his ear and reached back with one of her hands while the other rested on the back of his head. "Should I wear Velcro next time?" Her nimble fingers quickly unhooked the bra, and Harry laughed in disbelief.

"No fair, you've had practice every day of your life." Gabrielle bit her lip in an attempt to cease her giggles, and Harry reached forward to slide off her bra and reveal her breasts.

Harry could see in her eyes that she was shy and wanted to pull away. Instead, Harry tilted her chin and looked directly into her eyes. "Merlin, you are so beautiful."

Gabrielle blushed sheepishly, but immediately turned her attention to Harry as she began messing with his shirt. She concentrated on every move, lifting his shirt above his head and brushing her fingertips down the length of his chest as he discarded the it for her.

Panting again, she placed her palms onto his chest and felt for his heartbeat. Unable to stand the tension any longer, Harry leaned in and kissed her desperately, pushing her enough to move her toward the bed. Her legs obliged and they both walked together, their kiss unbreaking.

Finally, Gabrielle's calves hit the side of the bed and she gracefully slid down, propping herself up on her elbow as Harry slid his arm around her to support her back.

Harry crawled on the bed with her and she wheeled around to face him, both of them on their knees. Gabrielle rested her hands on Harry's shoulders as his came to her hips. They kissed again and brought their bodies together. Gabrielle gasped at the touch of so much skin, and Harry nearly moaned as her breasts pressed against him. He could feel her nipples, and he nearly bucked into her, desperate for some type of friction and release.

Almost on instinct, Gabrielle reached down and undid the button on Harry's pants. Harry did the same, and they made quick work of it themselves until they were both kneeling on the bed in only their underwear.

Looking down, Harry noticed that Gabrielle was wearing a black lacey thong; and it was the sexiest thing he had ever seen in his whole damn life. He had seen thongs before, but on her it was almost criminal. Harry stroked himself to try and find some type of relief, squeezing his eyes shut to maybe last a little bit longer when he suddenly felt Gabrielle push his hand away.

When Harry opened his eyes, Gabrielle was gazing at him before she gently applied the much-needed pressure. She stroked him a few times, sending waves of pleasure throughout the entirety of Harry's body before she withdrew and hooked her hands around the band of his underwear.

Slowly, she moved the band down as Harry stepped out of his boxers, revealing his hard length to her. He had to stop himself from laughing when she flinched away to avoid getting hit in the face with it as it sprang out from its fabric prison.

Apparently, Gabrielle had noticed as well because she did giggle, if not from amusement, then from embarrassment at her reaction.

Harry pursed his lips together in an attempt to stifle his own amusement and lifted her chin to face him again. He was completely naked now, and all they had left was her underwear.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked one more time, scuffling toward her. He felt another roll of desire wash over him as he slid in between her legs and rested there, her underwear barring him. She moaned as she felt him and squeezed her thighs together in an attempt to touch him better in that intimate area.

"Of course, Harry." She breathed.

"I love you, Gabrielle."

"And I love you, Harry."

They kissed tenderly as Harry slowly lowered her underwear to her knees. She took care of the scrap of clothing and turned to face him. Once again, Harry was mesmerized. _Merlin, she's perfect._

As if on cue, Harry's mouth started to water at the image bestowed before him. He moved forward again and pressed himself in between her legs, groaning into her neck as he felt the heat between her legs; and the fact that she was wet.

Gabrielle kissed him, moving up and down between his lips and neck, their movements becoming more hurried as time passed. She finally lowered herself entirely on the bed, Harry still supporting her back and not wanting to break their kiss. Harry gently settled himself between her legs before Gabrielle tensed.

Gasping for air, Gabrielle broke them apart and whispered, "Harry...I've never..."

Understanding, Harry paused and maneuvered himself to be in Gabrielle's position, his back on the bed. She sat up, furrowing her eyebrows when Harry explained, "Sit on it. That way, you'll have full control."

Nodding, Gabrielle swung a leg over to straddle him. She bent low to kiss him some more and then sat up again, using his hands for support as she positioned herself over him.

Gabrielle took a deep breath and then slowly began to sit. Occasionally, her legs would start to shake, and she would grip Harry's hands tighter before her expression would relax. Harry enjoyed every second watching her adjust to him. She was beautiful, and he wanted to give her everything he could.

As Harry filled her, there was a large amount of self-control that he needed not to go crazy, because she felt amazing. He could feel every inch of her, every squeeze, and every shake of her leg. The entire ordeal was intoxicating.

As soon as she sat down completely, Gabrielle moaned and he felt her squeeze around him. Harry couldn't help himself and moaned as well while he bucked into her, feeling the closeness of their bodies together. It also didn't help that Harry was feeling waves of her Veela appeal roll from her like a tsunami, though his mind remained clear.

They stayed that way for a bit before Harry propped himself up and wrapped his arms around her. He crossed his legs as she wrapped her legs around him, careful not to leave her body. After adjusting, Harry stared into her eyes. They were staring back lovingly. He could easily lose himself in her eyes.

Harry leaned in and kissed her tenderly. "Do I feel good in you?"

Her cool breath brushed against his face as she replied, "You feel _so_ good. I feel so close to you."

Harry leaned forward and nearly buried his face in her breasts, sighing at the implication of her words. The proximity to her chest gave Harry an idea, and he gently licked one of her pert nipples so she could keep adjusting to the new sensations that gripped the other parts of her body while still giving her attention.

She gasped at the contact of his tongue against such a sensitive area and leaned her head back, pushing herself down farther onto Harry. Harry's hands were intent to explore her, to worship her in the way she deserved. He moved from one breast to the other and studied her reactions, pleased with what he discovered.

The sensations must have driven Gabrielle over the edge because she began kissing him uncontrollably. She kissed every inch of skin she could find on his body that she could reach without breaking apart their bond. Finally, Harry couldn't take it anymore either, and he maneuvered their bodies together so she was on the bottom. As her back hit the bed, he sunk himself into her, feeling her as he went down to the hilt.

"Prop yourself up with your legs. You can change the angle to the way you like that way." He whispered into her ear. She did as instructed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "If you need to, bite into my shoulder." She nodded, breathing heavily.

"Look at me." She breathed out. Their eyes met, and Harry began a steady rhythm. He started slow and gentle and gradually picked up the pace. He honestly wasn't sure how long he would last, seeing how turned on he was in the first place. His goal was to keep going, even if he came. He was going to make this as pleasurable for her as he could.

With his new goal in mind, he picked up the pace and reveled in the feeling of her around him. Her nails were digging into his back, and the sensations were driving him mad with desire. He finally was able to let go, but he tried to stifle his orgasm in order to keep going. When his hips bucked out of rhythm, Gabrielle moved her hands to his hips and brought him in closer, encouraging him to continue after his short pause.

Despite already reaching a small orgasm, he was still incredibly turned on enough to keep going and to keep persistently going faster and faster. Gabrielle's moans filled the air, and Harry knew it would only be a matter of time before he was going to come again, and this time, he wasn't sure if he could hold back.

Gabrielle reached for his hand and he grasped it, linking their fingers together. She squeezed his hand and moaned his name into his ear. Hearing his name nearly sent him over the edge and he persisted his consistent thrusts, moaning into her neck as he did so.

After some very heated moments, Gabrielle's legs began to shake again. "Harry, I'm-." She managed to breathe into his ear. He kept his pace the same and squeezed his own eyes shut as he was nearing his own climax as well.

Suddenly, Gabrielle was moaning into Harry and her legs wrapped around him as they shook uncontrollably. He felt her walls squeezing around him in her pleasure and he tried to pound through her orgasm, but the pulses sent Harry over into his own bliss. He grunted into her shoulder as he let go and felt her body shake against him, completely emptying himself into her.

Their gasps filled the room as they laid together as one. Eventually, Harry found the energy to sit back up and kiss Gabrielle again, cupping her face and lacing his fingers through her hair.

They stayed together for as long as they could before parting, immediately feeling the loss of the other. Harry wrapped his arm around her, and they stayed cuddled up together, rejoicing in their intimate moment they shared together until sleep eventually took them.

~oOo~

The next morning, Harry woke up early to open the apothecary, but not before he turned to Gabrielle and gazed upon her sleeping form.

She looked so peaceful in her sleep. Even when she wasn't trying, she was the most beautiful person Harry had ever laid his eyes upon. The only thing missing before him now was her sparkling blue eyes that had so encaptivated him.

Harry gently stroked the side of her face with his fingers as he tried to memorize every feature. Her jaw was slender, she had a ski slope nose, and her lips were always the perfect shade of pink. Every part of her seemed to fit together perfectly, with not one bit out of place. And what amazed him even more was how open she was with him. He truly felt she was entirely open with him in everything, and he didn't know what he did to deserve her and her trust.

Still, he had let her call the shots. And much to Harry's delight, her shots had led to them having one of the best sexual experiences of Harry's life, even if it wasn't over the top. It was perfect for them, and he loved every second of it.

He loved it so much in fact, he felt himself get hard again at the thought of their endeavors. _Never fucking satisfied, am I?_ Harry thought, internally shaking his head.

He didn't want to get up for the day, feeling that this moment would be wasted if he did. He decided to turn her around in her sleepy state and wrap his arm around her, holding her tightly. Her naked body molded into his, and he concentrated on her smooth breathing as he held her.

Eventually, Gabrielle's breathing became less shallow, and Harry knew she was waking up. He loosened his grip as she sat up and looked around until her eyes fell onto Harry's.

Harry graced her with a loving smile and managed to move some of the hair away from her face.

"Good morning, Love." At Harry's words, she smiled and sunk herself into the warmth of the covers.

"Good morning, Harry." She replied back as she stretched her legs before nestling back into his arm.

Harry breathed out a small laugh as he bent down to kiss her. "I can't stay long. I told Bernie I would run the shop for him today."

A groan of mocking frustration left Gabrielle. "uhhhg, I know. I don't want you to leave though." She reached up and ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"You know, he did say you could help me if you wanted." Harry offered, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh, did he now?" Gabrielle said, giving Harry an equally suggestive look. "Well, I just might have to take you up on that offer."

Elated at the prospect of having Gabrielle by his side the entire day, he no longer dreaded getting up. He was just about to stand to get himself ready when Gabrielle quietly asked him a question. "That wasn't your first time last night, was it?"

Harry stopped moving, unsure of what to say. "Uh, no, it wasn't."

Nerves settled into the pit of Harry's stomach as her only reply was a huff of air and a nod of her head as she thought about his words. "Is that a problem?"

As though she was surprised by his reaction, she immediately backtracked, eyes wide. "Oh, no, not at all! I didn't mean that offensively. I was just thinking, it's odd that we didn't talk about that before last night."

Mulling over her words, Harry was actually surprised to find that she was right, and they hadn't talked about that at all. "Yeah, I guess you're right." Harry agreed, running his hands through his hair as his nerves from her previous statement hadn't fully settled yet. "What was the farthest you had gone before last night?"

"Heavy kissing and fondling were all, to be honest." She replied shyly. "I found it hard to find people who wanted to be with me for who I was and not for my looks." Her words resonated with Harry as she admitted her feelings to him about the matter. It seems like they were always worried about the same thing, more or less. "Who was yours?"

"I've only ever been with Ginny," Harry told her. "It felt really one sided though, so there was more than one occasion I wasn't even enjoying it. Although it could have been my state of mind at the time. I'm not sure."

Gabrielle nodded, thinking over his words and coming to accept them. "Thank you for telling me, Harry."

Harry replied with a fond smile and began sitting up, "We can talk about it more as we get ready."

She nodded her head excitedly and they dressed, ready for the day.

~oOo~

The couple walked through the doors of Bernie's Apothecary, only to be greeted with a giant stack of the newspapers Bernie had on order from around the world.

Gabrielle walked over to the back room and began tidying up the back as Harry instructed on the way over. She didn't know how to run the register, but she was competent enough in her potions skills to fill orders and clean properly.

Harry grabbed the stack of newsprint and brought them into Bernie's office, dropping them on his desk and taking the first few off the pile to read. He set them aside and went over to the safe to withdraw the money for the register. He walked back up to the front and saw Gabrielle had already finished the few things that needed to be done in the back. He placed the money in the register as Gabrielle unlocked the shop to welcome the customers.

Finally, they were able to sit back and read their papers, talking idly as the minutes passed. Gabrielle took the one from Paris, and Harry read _The Daily Prophet_. A few moments passed in comfortable silence when Gabrielle opened the paper wide enough for both of them to read. "Harry, look at this."

Harry leaned over and read where she pointed. "Five more deaths in France since Tuesday?"

"All seemingly different people." Gabrielle finished for him. "Papa said the situation was getting worse, not that people were still dying."

Disturbed by this news, Harry glanced back at Bernie's office. "Go and fetch another paper. See if there are deaths like this in other countries too."

Gabrielle nodded her head and grabbed a few more papers from Russia, Germany, Hungary, and India.

"Gabrielle, look." Harry held open _The Daily Prophet_. "Four deaths in England since Wednesday, all seemingly related, but unable to identify the culprits."

Concern shrouded Gabrielle's eyes as she came up with yet another article from Hungary. "Six killed since Monday."

Holding open the paper from Russia, Harry read, "Three killed near Moscow on Thursday. An entire family, seemingly pureblood."

Gabrielle pursed her lips. "I don't like the sound of this at all." She set the papers down and looked away from them. "What did Bernie say he was going to do this weekend, anyway?"

Harry shook his head. "He said he was going to fetch some more ingredients for himself and the shop. Although I honestly don't think that's what he was going to do at all."

Furrowing her brows, Gabrielle gathered all the papers together and put them back into Bernie's office as the first customer walked in. They dropped the subject altogether.

~oOo~

Harry and Gabrielle worked together seamlessly throughout the day, and it was one of the most enjoyable days of work Harry had had in a long time. Gabrielle was naturally very knowledgeable with all the products of the shop, understandably because of her work at the Gardens and with Bernie. He was also finding it more and more difficult to stop himself from stealing a kiss every time he passed her by as they worked. Not that she seemed to mind in the least. His mind was still racing with the events of the previous night.

The day finally came to a close, and they started cleaning up for the day. Harry opened Bernie's office back up to replace the money into the safe from the register. Pausing for a second, Harry scanned the room in which he stood. His eyes finally landed on the bookshelf, containing all sorts of different tomes, including the giant History book Bernie had perused earlier.

Curiosity taking over, Harry walked over to the bookcase and hefted the book out its space.

Just as he began to leaf through the pages, Gabrielle walked into the office and paused at the door. "What are you looking at?" She asked curiously.

"Just one of Bernie's books," Harry answered, giving her a loving smile as she glided up to look over his shoulder. "He has a lot of odd things in here. I mean, look at this. The first page is dated to be in the 1300s."

"Wow. What kind of book is this?" Gabrielle asked, wonder and awe taking her over as well.

"Bernie said it was a history book. It's just strange because—" Harry flipped to the back of the book. "—these pages are new." He scrutinized the writing a bit more before he noticed something peculiar. "Hang on."

A few seconds of reading and flipping through the pages confirmed his theory. "These new pages are all about the last Wizarding War against Voldemort."

"Not to mention, it looks handwritten as well," Gabrielle stated, pointing to some of the ink droplets on the pages. "And here." She shifted the pages to reveal the front again. "The same writing."

 _Merlin, she's right._ Harry thought incredulously as he compared the writing dating from the 1500s and the most current pages, flipping between them. "How would he find a book like this? Or better yet, who's writing is it?"

"I don't know. What if you asked him?" Gabrielle suggested.

"No, he usually avoids my questions altogether."

"Yes, that does sound like Uncle Bernie," Gabrielle stated matter-of-factly.

Harry turned his head to face her. "How did your family come to know Bernie in the first place?"

"Oh, my father knew him for years." Gabrielle pressed her lips together in thought. "I'm pretty sure they met through a mutual friend at the Ministry, but I'm not sure who. Papa knows so many people I tend not to keep track of all the names."

Harry nodded his head thoughtfully. "I just have to wonder what else he's hiding."

Ruffling some of the papers together that were scattered on the desk, Gabrielle shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe he'll tell us someday?"

"Hah! Like that would ever happen." Harry replied sarcastically. Gabrielle laughed in reply and stood up to grab her traveling cloak.

Harry followed, and they locked the shop up for the night.

~oOo~

AN/ Please Review!


	15. Photographs

Author's Note: Hello again everyone! I am happy to post another chapter for you guys! I really hope you are all enjoying the story because it's about to get craaazzzyyyyyyy. We love reading your comments and guesses so please keep them coming!

A big thank you to Viseerlord and teachergirl for catching a couple errors. I will go back and edit those bits. Thanks for the help!

Thank you all again! Feel free to review or DM us and we hope you enjoy the next chapter!

Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, not I.

~oOo~

After returning home from the apothecary, Harry was extremely pleased to find that the new dynamic to their relationship was ready to be fully explored. The couple could barely keep their hands off each other as soon as they walked in the door, and hardly found the time to eat supper; much to Harry's delight.

Since Harry had no obligation to open the shop and only read what Bernie had assigned for him the next day, they stayed up much later than usual.

When morning did roll around, Harry found it increasingly difficult to get up for the day, as he had an amazingly beautiful and naked woman in his arms again. He hadn't quite realized how long it had been since the last time he had sex, and it was as though a fire had been rekindled within him.

He whispered his usual, "Good morning, Love," into her ear and lazily magicked his kettle and tea on the stove from the comfort of their bed. The light was already pouring in through the windows, creating gentle streams of light that showed the dust dancing through the air. For some reason, the thought of that dust was calming and comforting. Harry was perfectly content with his life in that moment, watching the gentle rise and falls of Gabrielle's breathing as the light played across her hair, illuminating her angelic face.

When Gabrielle finally arose, Harry had her tea made from the other room, magicking it ready for them to drink. They sleepily shuffled over to the dining area and chatted amiably about the coming week, and about their steamy bedtime adventures, often suggesting new things they could try together.

Even in her half-awoken state, with her hair tousled and drowsiness clouding her features, Gabrielle was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. But disregarding her outward beauty, her genuine personality and loving nature drew Harry to her even more. As their relationship grew, Harry could fully recognize that, while she was a strong witch who was wickedly smart, she still allowed herself to be vulnerable with him, and in return, let Harry be vulnerable with her as well. They switched their roles as needed and they balanced each other out in a way Harry didn't even know was possible. Even if he took out the physical aspect of their relationship, Harry knew he was falling in love with her hard and falling fast.

Harry's chest warmed lovingly as Gabrielle chatted away about her studies with Bernie and how she began to relate her work at Apollo Gardens with her potions work.

As the morning grew late, Harry decided it was time for him to fully dress and study what needed to be done for the day.

 _Maybe if I study now, I can get home earlier to be with her._ Harry thought as he prepared himself to leave.

Gabrielle decided she would stay at their flat to study since her materials were not as restricted as Harry's were.

They shared a passionate kiss before departing, and Harry disapparated away.

~oOo~

Harry read and studied for much of the afternoon in Bernie's office. He was determined to finish reading through the notes before supper rolled around so he could spend the evening with Gabrielle.

The one problem Harry ran into was that he had never been much of a studier, even at Hogwarts. He still couldn't fathom how Hermione did it all while they were in school, and he leaned back into his chair, rubbing at his eyes to find a short relief from their strain. He did have to think that if Hermione could see him now, she would be proud of how his studying habits had changed throughout the years.

Opening his eyes again, he decided to take a small brain break and glanced around the office. It was his first real opportunity to really get a good look around the room without someone breathing down his neck or waiting for him to leave.

The office was really nice and flashy, from a muggle perspective. Maybe not so much from a wizard perspective, but it was still impressive considering there was a secret potions station behind the bookcase.

Harry stood up and slowly walked over to the bookcase and gently pulled on the small golden book to reveal the hidden chamber. The room was tiny and could only fit up to four people. The table reminded Harry of the ones used in the potions classroom, and the cauldrons were magically suspended above, each one a different metal.

Upon further investigation, Harry was proud to be able to identify each metal, something he never dreamed of being able to do while at Hogwarts unless there was a label blatantly telling him what it was. The only odd thing he saw was there were two gold cauldrons: one toward the middle between silver and crystal and then another gold cauldron after obsidian.

His potions training told him that some potions need a different metal, or the wand-work attached to the potion could ruin the properties, but it didn't explain why Bernie needed two gold cauldrons, or why they were separated. They were the same metal, weren't they?

Shrugging mentally, Harry backed out of the small potions lab and closed the door to reveal the bookcase again. He sighed, wishing away his studying headache and continued to take in his surroundings.

He moved to the wall nearest the bookshelf and began studying the pictures. He had noticed these photos before, but never took the time to actually look at them. The few quick glances he had in passing told him they were all pictures of a different couple.

Moving slowly, Harry meandered over to the first picture. The couple was smiling brightly and in their late twenties. The image was very worn, and the woman had on a light-colored dress with long sleeves and a head covering. The picture moved, and she slowly looked up into the eyes of the man standing beside her. The movements in the picture were not what Harry was used to seeing. The actions were choppy or barely seemed to be moving at all. When the woman in the photo looked up, the man next to her met her loving gaze and returned the smile. The man wore a very fancy suit coat with frills down the front, and his robes reached all the way to the ground, much in the same manner as the woman's dress. Their outfits were obviously wizarding fashion. The photo was dated in the corner of the ornate, golden frame to be from 1368. Upon further investigation, Harry realized it wasn't a photo, but a painting.

Remarking on how amazing it was that a picture this old lasted through the years, Harry moved on to the next framed photo. He checked the date immediately and saw 1457 in a neat scrawl.

His eyes scanned the picture curiously, and he noticed that the couple looked familiar. Furrowing his brows, he walked to the next picture and saw 1536 written, with another couple in equally brilliant clothes.

 _Wait a second…_ Harry thought, turning to the next picture dated 1776. _These are all the same people._

Harry held his breath as he examined each photograph. Indeed, the woman and man were all the same, just in different outfits and often in different places. But they never seemed to age. Despite the man looking vaguely familiar, he never noticed the man and woman looking to be over thirty.

The last picture was dated 1946. The woman was wearing a white, silk A-line dress with poufy sleeves and a lace overlay, in her hand a large bouquet of peonies was so large it looked as though she could barely hold it. The man was sporting three-button dress robes— _These are wedding pictures!_

Harry examined each photo in turn, starting with the paintings. The paintings he realized had just fragments of color that had been worn away with time, while the actual photographs were black and white, a stark difference from their golden frames.

Staring in awe of what he found, he felt all desire for studying fly out the door. His watch told him it was only two in the afternoon. He grabbed his traveling cloak and apparated to his flat.

Excitement at his discovery, Harry burst into the room and found Gabrielle curled up on the couch, reading her own materials.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, setting her book down. "I didn't think you'd be home so—"

"Come here," Harry said urgently, not even attempting to hide his excited smile. "I found something you should see."

Confusion and wariness marred Gabrielle's features, but she obeyed and fastened her traveling cloak and shoes before disapparating with Harry back to the apothecary.

Harry immediately swung the door open and admitted Gabrielle into Bernie's office. She glanced around expectantly, and when she didn't find anything out of the ordinary, she turned to Harry. "What is it?"

"Look," Harry said, leading her over to the pictures on the wall. "Look at the dates, and look at the people."

An incredulous expression graced her features as she contemplated the idea that Harry might have gone mad from studying too much. Nevertheless, she decided to humor him and began scanning each photograph. When she reached the third or fourth one in, her eyebrows scrunched together, and she whispered under her breath, "Wait a second…"

"Do you see it?" Harry asked, impatiently waiting for her to see what he did.

"Yeah. These are all the same people." Gabrielle stated. "But the dates…?"

"I know!" Harry exclaimed. "The most recent one is dated 1946. And the oldest is dated 1368. But it's the same people!" Harry was almost bouncing in excitement from his discovery.

Gabrielle scratched the side of her head in thought, running her hand through her long hair. "Why would Bernie have all these pictures on his wall?" She voiced, more to herself than anything.

Harry's excitement halted abruptly when he heard her question. Why _did_ Bernie have these photos hung up on his wall? Glancing at each one, in turn, he still couldn't help but feel that the man was vaguely familiar. "I wonder who they could be? Or how they're linked to Bernie?"

"Perhaps they're all related to him?" Gabrielle questioned out loud. "This could be many generations of people within Bernie's family. I mean, the man does kind of look like him"

Nodding his head, Harry could see where she was coming from, but it still didn't feel quite right. "That doesn't explain the fact that these are all the same people—"

"Yeah…I don't know Harry." She scrutinized them a bit more. "Are you positive these are all the same? To me, their ages don't follow the years chronologically. Look—" She pointed to the picture dated 1456. "They look much older here: Maybe nearing their mid-thirties. And then look at this one—" She gestured to the one dated 1885. "They're younger in this one compared to the other. They look to still be in their teens."

"None of this makes any sense," Harry said, trying to understand the prints before him. "I'll see if I can get any information out of Bernie when he comes back, but I doubt he'll give me a straight answer."

"Well, let me know when you do because I'm dead curious now," Gabrielle said as she gently brushed one of the pictures.

Harry nodded his head in agreement. _Guess I won't be getting any sleep till Wednesday then._

The couple agreed to let the topic rest for now and apparated back to the flat. Harry's head was still swimming with the photos when he decided to try and distract himself. "So, Fleur is due any day now, isn't she?"

Gabrielle immediately perked up at the mention of her sister and baby. "Yes! I absolutely cannot wait! She's due sometime next week and I haven't been able to see her or talk to her about it but she said-" She bounced gracefully in place as she began talking about the baby and the various gifts she wanted to spoil them with. Even with Gabrielle talking excitedly, Harry couldn't quite shake the image of those pictures from his mind. Even Gabrielle seemed a bit distracted by them after they finished discussing the baby.

Harry wanted to go back to the office and see if he could find anything else odd in Bernie's office, knowing he wouldn't have time during the regular working days. Bernie would be back Wednesday when he could ask questions, but it felt wrong to blatantly go through Bernie's office when he was there.

The one distraction that Harry welcomed wholeheartedly and gratefully was in each other's embrace after they decided to turn in for the night; a very welcome end to their day indeed.

~oOo~

Monday and Tuesday came and went in a fashion that Harry could only describe as frozen molasses. The work wasn't difficult, but he was alone at the apothecary helping customers, filling orders, and cleaning containers to fill for the next shipment of ingredients. It proved monotonous, and more than once, Harry found himself staring at the pictures lining the wall of Bernie's office.

He couldn't think of any other possibility other than what he and Gabrielle had discussed the Sunday before, and he waited impatiently for Bernie's return. Without Gabrielle to keep him company during the work week, he found himself perusing the papers again to fill his busy mind.

More deaths, two to three people at most; and not a single culprit had been caught. Concern and worry welled up in Harry as he read each tragedy, and he often wondered what he would be doing within the Ministry of Magic to help find whoever was responsible. So much so, that he wanted to rush over to the Delacour's place and ask Pierre what his opinion on the matter was, seeing as he probably had a fair deal more insight than he did looking in from the outside.

A few of those instances, Bernie's words resonated through his mind as he recalled that they needed to sit and wait to see what would happen. He hated twiddling his thumbs, waiting for something significant to happen, if it would happen at all. To compensate, Harry would always find himself examining the photos in the office until another customer walked through the doors.

Finally, Wednesday arrived, and Harry immediately shot out of bed to prepare himself for the day. He had discussed with Gabrielle what exactly he should ask Bernie to render the best response. Gabrielle was excited too, wished him luck with a kiss, and they both left for their respective jobs.

Bernie was already seated at the counter, counting the money for the register and looking grim. He didn't even look up when Harry walked through the door. "Good morning, Bernie," Harry said, absorbing Bernie's mood.

All Harry received in reply was a grunt of acknowledgment and nothing more. Bernie's reaction took him off guard, but Harry barely paused before starting his daily routine to ready the shop for the day.

When he finished, Bernie was just walking over to unlock the door when Harry tried to open up a conversation. "How was your trip?"

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Bernie shot out, clearly annoyed as he walked over to his office.

Harry's eyes widened at the sudden outburst, unsure of what he did to deserve Bernie's scorn.

A softly muffled, "sorry," escaped Bernie's lips before he turned the knob and locked himself in his office.

 _What, the literal, fuck._ Thought Harry. _What happened while Bernie was gone?_ He was obviously in a mood that Harry had never seen before, as Bernie was usually in a neutral, if not, sarcastic mood.

Not wanting to push his buttons any further, Harry decided to shake it off and continue his duties as usual. He wouldn't be asking his questions, that's for sure.

~oOo~

Bernie didn't emerge from his office the entire day and left Harry to empty the register and clean up afterward as well. When Harry went into the office to replace the money in the safe, Bernie was nowhere to be found. _He must've snuck out when I went into the back room today._ Harry pondered as he replaced the money in the safe and locked the office back up.

When he arrived back to their flat, Gabrielle was waiting for him and fixing supper. She immediately twirled around, expecting some sort of answers. Her gaze turned questioning when Harry's face fell at her excited and expectant eyes.

"I didn't even get a chance to ask," Harry told her, shaking his head. "I asked him how his trip was, and he snapped at me. I don't think I've ever seen him angry like that before."

"Hmm. That's odd." Gabrielle stated, eyebrows furrowing together. "Well, I've seen him frustrated before—"

"Yeah, but not like this," Harry interrupted. "This time was different. He didn't leave his office all day, and he wasn't there at the end of the day when I closed up." Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure what I said to upset him."

"You don't think he knows that you were snooping through his office, do you?" Gabrielle asked.

"I don't think so. I barely said two sentences to him today." Harry said. "Maybe I'll try again in a couple of days."

Gabrielle nodded in agreement and finished magically preparing their meal.

"I have my lesson with him tomorrow. Maybe I can get something out of him." Gabrielle stated, swishing her hair behind her back as she waved her wand to set the table. "I wonder if something happened. I hope he's okay."

"Yeah," Harry said. "Good luck."

~oOo~

The next morning proved to be challenging. Gabrielle was greeted with just as much enthusiasm as Bernie gave Harry the previous day. He was strict and somewhat cold but still taught with the same vigor as usual. When Gabrielle walked through the store to admit Harry into the office for his lesson, all she did was shrug, kissed him goodbye, and disapparated away to the Gardens.

Harry slipped through the door and saw Bernie sitting in his office chair, seemingly staring off into space as he waited for Harry. He seemed to be rooted in thought and not at all energized to start the day, looking as though he didn't get any sleep. Bernie didn't move right away as Harry greeted him, and he decided to proceed cautiously.

"Bernie, is everything alright?" Harry asked carefully.

Bernie nodded his head absently. "Yes, yes everything is fine, boy." He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf to reveal the secret potions lab. "How was your reading?"

Unsure about the immediate change of subject, Harry decided to go with the change. "-I think I have a grasp on the concept. It was mostly about why certain ingredients can't be substituted for others because of their elemental properties concerning their arithmantic properties."

"Go on." Bernie prompted.

"I don't have a very good grasp of Arithmancy since I didn't take that class at Hogwarts. But from what I understood is that each ingredient is associated with a different element or at least falls under that certain classification. It's a more theoretical explanation of why potions needs that extra wand work to trigger those properties. Otherwise, you'd simply end up with poisonous sludge water: our magic is what gives the liquid its magical abilities."

"Precisely." Bernie praised, the corners of his mouth raising slightly. He still looked somber, but less so at Harry's understanding of the curriculum. "Now put it to the test." Bernie took down the gold cauldron that rested at the end of the line. He set up a new recipe for Harry to look at and stepped back.

"I want you to tell me why this particular potion would not work-" Bernie commanded, gesturing to half of the notes presented. "-and then tell me why this one would. I will be back with all the ingredients you need, and I want an explanation when I get back."

In little to no time, Bernie was back with the ingredients needed for this particular potion, and he set them out carefully for Harry to peruse. "Well?" He asked impatiently.

"Honestly, the only thing I could see going wrong with this potion is that it's not really a potion at all," Harry said, squinting down at the small writing. "You would have to change almost every ingredient for it to work."

"Okay, so tell me this," Bernie said, rubbing his hands together. "The last potion you created for me. Why did it work?"

"Because I changed the properties of one of the ingredients before it could react negatively with the other ingredients within."

"Good. And how did you know what to change it to?"

"Well, the standard ingredient is, well, standard for all potions. It only seemed logical."

"And how did you know how to transfigure the Granian Hair into standard ingredient?" Bernie ushered again.

"Uh...I just…"

"You guessed, didn't you?" Bernie covered his face with his hand. "Have I taught you nothing, boy?" He impatiently pointed to the standard ingredient he had placed on the desk and said, "Crushed and diluted Granian Hair is what makes up part of Standard Potion ingredient. Essentially, you allowed the properties you wanted to soak within the potion and then—"

"I diluted the ingredient without removing it from the actual potion, therefore changing the entire potion's properties with it." Harry said calmly. He did know why he changed that particular ingredient, he just didn't know how to put it into words and have it make sense.

Bernie scoffed. "Oh, so you do know what you're talking about." Shaking his head still in amused exasperation, Bernie moved on, "This new potion is a good deal more difficult, but the one on the right is the correct recipe. I want you to create this potion until you get stuck, then I will step in and help with the rest."

Harry nodded and immediately got to work. Maybe if he did well enough on this potion, Bernie would be in a good enough mood to enlighten him about the photos.

The potion seemed basic enough; however, there was a section that completely deviated from the original intent. The whole purpose was to heal, much like the Wiggenweld Potion. The only difference was this recipe called for a purification step that Harry didn't recognize. He kept reading ahead as he brewed, hoping to make sense of the writing within the text.

The potion was brewing smoothly with no complications. It hardly deviated from the well-known potions recipe except toward the final steps. The liquid began bubbling ominously when Bernie tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Well done. I'll take over from here."

Bernie withdrew his wand, which confused Harry because he already completed all of the wand work required, and the cauldron started glowing red. As the liquid bubbled, a noxious gas began to waft from the depths of the cauldron and set Harry on edge. He couldn't quite get a good enough look at what Bernie was doing when suddenly the bright red light flashed and suddenly turned white.

Shielding his eyes from the sudden change, Harry thought for a second that the potion had failed. When he opened them again, he realized that Bernie was nodding satisfactorily, decanting the once blue liquid, now lavender, into a solid gold vial.

Harry's brows furrowed in confusion at what had just taken place. "Hold on." He began. "I think I missed something. What did you do?"

Bernie laughed at his obvious confusion and said, "I simply changed the properties of the potion, just as you previously explained to me."

"But...How—"

"That will be next week's reading," Bernie said, waving a hand in the air as if to shoo him away. "I've already set it in the cupboard of my desk. I'll probably be leaving again Saturday, so you'll have time to read through it then."

Harry nodded and then turned to the pictures on the wall. "Bernie, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what are these photographs on the wall?"

Looking slightly taken aback, Bernie merely brushed him off, narrowing his eyes. "Don't make me regret letting you in my office, boy." He said, shaking his head as he began to clean up. "Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back." Harry countered. "I just noticed, it's all of the same couple. Who are they? Why are—"

"That's a story for another time. Now leave it be, or I'll take my key back." Bernie grumbled as he closed the bookcase door. His good mood from their joint brewing seemed to dissipate. "Now stop worrying about things that don't concern you and open the shop."

Harry slumped his shoulders slightly in defeat as he went to the counter to unlock the door and help the first customers of the day.

~oOo~

"He didn't tell me anything about the pictures, but he never said he wouldn't tell me eventually." Harry recounted, describing the events of the day to Gabrielle. "He said, 'it's a story for another day.'"

Eyebrows raised and nodding enthusiastically, Gabrielle mused, "Well, that sounds promising!"

Harry released a low chuckled and said, "Yeah, I suppose so." He took another bite of his dinner and said, "He said he was going to be gone again this week."

"I really wonder what it is that he's doing." Gabrielle thought out loud. "I just find it odd that he'd suddenly start leaving, giving you full access to his office at the apothecary without even explaining himself. Although I really shouldn't be all that surprised."

As Gabrielle started rambling, Harry couldn't help but smile. He loved the way her nose scrunched up when she was thinking, or how her hair moved about her shoulders like liquid silk. Even her scent was strong in his nose, and he only realized too late that she had asked him a question.

"Harry?" She giggled at his apparent stares. "What are you thinking?"

Smiling at her, Harry reached out with his hand and said, "What would you say if we turned in early tonight?"

The corners of her mouth pulled up softly as she set her finished plate aside and glided over to where Harry was sitting and straddled him. Harry had to look up to see her, or be cut off to the world by her breasts. She planted a loving kiss on his forehead and then his lips before saying, "Yeah. That sounds nice."

She stood up, gracefully, and glided over to their bedroom. Harry followed her in, and they both changed into a comfortable set of pajamas. When they climbed in bed, Gabrielle scooted up next to Harry and they sat together in comfortable silence, each of them taking in the other's presence.

Gently kissing the crown of her head, Harry leaned his cheek against her as she snuggled closer to his chest. _I could die in this moment and be perfectly happy._ Harry thought. Sex didn't even cross his mind as he held her. While he would definitely have accepted had she offered, he was starting to tire out from their almost daily "adventures." He breathed in her scent to try and commit it to memory.

The day grew darker as time passed, and she gently whispered his name. "Harry?"

"Hmm?" Harry asked, barely able to make out her features as the sky darkened his room.

"What can you tell me about your life before the war? With your muggle family?"

Harry tensed at the question. He knew she would ask eventually, but he still didn't enjoy talking about the Dursleys.

"Erhm…well…they were muggles." He began, laughing awkwardly. "What do you know about them?"

"Honestly, next to nothing," Gabrielle said. "There isn't really anything explicitly stating how they were."

Harry nodded. "Okay…Well, they weren't the greatest to live with. They never really gave me a proper bedroom until I turned eleven; that's only because of my Hogwarts letter." Harry laughed at the memory of receiving his first Hogwarts letter. One of many. "It was addressed to 'Harry James Potter, Cupboard under the Stairs, Number Four Privet Drive, Little Winging.' My uncle got me into a bedroom so fast, even my cousin didn't realize fully what had happened. Not that that was hard to do."

"You lived in a cupboard? Under stairs?" Gabrielle said, sitting up. Harry nodded, confirming her statement.

"They put bars on my window when I was twelve to prevent me from going to Hogwarts. It didn't work out so well for them, though. Although it wasn't all bad, I guess. They would leave me alone in the house a lot, so I almost got full range of the house until they got back. I would sneak food from the kitchen for myself to snack on for the rest of the week."

Gabrielle shook her head in disbelief. "How could they do that to you?" Harry could tell she was having trouble wrapping her mind around it.

"Uncle Vernon was determined to ignore the magic out of me. He's a bit stupid that way. But so is my cousin. I never really reconciled with Aunt Petunia, despite her being my mother's sister, but Dudley did tell me I'm not a waste of space so, maybe that's as close to an 'I love you' as I can get."

Pursing her lips angrily, Gabrielle asked, "Why didn't anyone do anything to help you?"

Harry scratched the back of his head thoughtfully, ruffling his hair. "Dumbledore said it was because of the protection my mother gave me when she died. Petunia shared her blood, and her blood is what saved and protected me. The Weasley's helped too. They let me stay almost every summer, and Mrs. Weasley was more than a mother to me. It was hard when Ron and I stopped talking…"

"Because you lost the one family you knew…" Gabrielle finished. "Harry I'm sorry—"

"Don't be. Really. I can do and choose what I want to now, and no one is holding me down. Except for you, of course." Harry bumped into her shoulder, playfully. "Besides, it was so long ago, it's a distant memory at this point. I learned some lessons and moved on."

Gabrielle leaned back into Harry's embrace and whispered, "I love you, Harry."

A low chuckle escaped Harry before he whispered, "I love you too, Gabrielle."

They stayed in each other's embrace as the night swallowed them up within the walls of their bedroom.

~oOo~

The week came and went with little to no incidents, and Bernie still refused to answer Harry's questions. The materials Harry was supposed to be studying were becoming increasingly difficult as the days went on, much to the point that Harry believed he was missing some very vital information in order to understand it.

The weekend came, and Bernie left again. He gave Harry the option to close up shop early since it was Saturday and packed his things to leave shortly after saying his goodbyes.

The day was inching by since Gabrielle was not there to keep him company. He found himself wandering back into Bernie's office to look at the photos, or maybe snoop around and find something else worth telling Gabrielle. He knew he probably shouldn't be going through Bernie's things, but the man was such a mystery to him, he couldn't help himself.

He was examining the pictures again and almost started going through Bernie's desk when the bell charm sounded, admitting another customer. The person who entered seemed frantic and stopped abruptly at the counter. "Jake?"

Harry's spirits lifted as he heard Gabrielle's voice filter in through the door. "Yes, Love?" He said, emerging from behind the door.

"Oh, thank Merlin!" Gabrielle exclaimed as she rushed around the counter and grabbed Harry by the arm. "Fleur just had her baby!" She nearly squealed with delight. "They want us to come to see them!"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise at the news and said, "Hold on, let me close the shop quick."

They were out the door in a few minutes, and they apparated right to St. Mungo's doorstep.

Gabrielle was nearly dragging Harry by the arm as they rushed to the nearest Healer.

"Woah, Gabrielle, slow down," Harry said, leaning back as they nearly ran down the halls to the maternity ward after a hurried inquiry at a frazzled Healer. "She'll still be there; I doubt they'll be moved."

Gabrielle scoffed at his supposed ignorance at her urgency and need to hold this baby. They finally stopped in front of the door that said, "Weasley" on the outside. She knocked carefully; almost all traces of urgency gone as she collected herself with that single knock.

"Come in!" came Fleur's sing-song voice from within the room.

One swoop of the door admitted them into the room and face to face with—the entire Weasley family.

Harry's jaw nearly dropped at the sight of the red-headed family all turning to stare at the newcomers. He tried to quickly recover his involuntary step back out of the room and squeezed his shock into Gabrielle's hand. She seemed to be equally shocked because her eyebrows rose to her hairline and she returned his squeeze with just as much vigor.

Gabrielle was the first one to speak. "H-hey everyone!" She stammered, eyes wide and smiling through her alarm. "We didn't expect to see you all here!"

Mrs. Weasley stepped forward at that moment and gave Gabrielle a warm hug. "Of course we're here, Dear. How could I miss the opportunity to see my new granddaughter?"

Harry didn't let go of Gabrielle's hand as the two women hugged, his heart pounding at the sight of so many familiar faces.

"And you must be Jake." Mrs. Weasley stated, turning toward Harry. "We've heard lots of good things." She said, scrunching up her face happily.

Dropping Gabrielle's hand, he extended his own, "Nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Weasley—"

"Oh, come now, dear, enough of that." She gently pushed his arm away and stepped forward. "You're a part of the family, aren't you?" She opened her arms and hugged him fiercely, shocking Harry even further. He had desperately missed Mrs. Weasley's hugs, and he timidly hugged her back, wanting to prolong it for as long as he could. Harry's eyes met Gabrielle's mid-hug and she smiled at him knowingly.

When Mrs. Weasley stepped away, Mr. Weasley stepped forward. "Now, Molly, you're going to scare the poor boy." Mr. Weasley took his wife's place and extended his hand as Mrs. Weasley scoffed at him playfully. "Arthur Weasley." He said with a friendly smile and a slight bow of his head.

"Hello, sir. Jake Meier." Harry replied, shaking his hand. Usually, Mr. Weasley hugged him after his handshake, but Harry had to catch himself before he made that mistake. "Nice to meet you."

Mr. Weasley beamed at his politeness and turned around to gesture to the rest of his family. "I assume you've met everyone else at the Ministry gala?"

Looking around, Harry nodded his head and waved at the bunch awkwardly. He retook Gabrielle's hand and realized that his own were shaking. She squeezed his hand soothingly and moved into the room a bit more. The others parted the way to allow Gabrielle through to see her sister and the baby, leaving Harry a few steps behind her.

Unable to help himself, Harry chuckled at Gabrielle when she squealed her excitement at the small bundle in Fleur's arms. They began chatting away excitedly, and he walked over to Bill to give him his congratulations.

"We're naming her Victoire," Bill said proudly. "After the Wizarding World's victory against You-Know-Who." Quirking his lips in a soft smile, Bill gave him a meaningful look and placed his hand on his shoulder.

The implication of the name left Harry a little choked up at that moment. There had been so many unexpected things in the short few minutes they had been there that Harry's emotions were everywhere. Pressing his lips together to control his facial features, Harry nodded and placed his hand on Bill's shoulder, returning the small gesture.

The implication was not lost on Fleur or Gabrielle, and when they turned back to them, the girls were smiling and began talking in rapid French again. Even though Harry wasn't a part of their conversation, he was still glad that the couple of years he spent in France and with Gabrielle led him to understand every word. He held on to the sound of Gabrielle's voice to ground himself, finding the lull to be comforting.

He turned around and faced the rest of the Weasley clan. He noticed Ron and Hermione standing by the door straight away, Charlie was sitting next to George by the window, and Ginny was standing next to Molly, who was talking to Apolline.

Taking a few steps back, Harry lingered toward the back of the group and watched as everyone mingled with each other quietly.

After a few short minutes, Harry felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned around and was confronted with Ron's slightly nervous face. Ron extended his hand and said, "Nice to see you again, Mate."

Harry shook his hand and put his acting skills to the test. "Yeah, nice to see you. Ron, right?"

"Yeah. And this is my wife, Hermione."

 _Wife. They got married…_ Harry shook Hermione's hand too and said, "Nice to see you again too. And Congratulations. I don't think you were married the last time I saw you."

Hermione stepped forward a bit more and replied, "No, we weren't. We actually only got married a few months ago." Hermione smiled fondly at Ron.

"Wow…" Harry said, nodding his head and unable to think of anything else worthwhile to say. _Stupid, stupid, stupid._ He was still more shocked at the fact that his two best friends were married. And he missed it all.

The couple smiled affectionately at each other before Ron turned and asked, "How long have you and Gabrielle been together? Since the Ministry dinner?"

"Yeah. So, around a year and a half. Almost two actually." Harry said, scratching his head in thought. _Has it really been that long?_

Hermione smiled and said, "And still going strong, I presume?"

Harry nodded in agreement at her statement and turned around to look at Gabrielle again. She was still sitting on the side of Fleur's bed, talking with her and her mother now. "Yeah. She's pretty amazing."

At that moment, Ginny walked up and stood beside Hermione, looking slightly bored. "Do you know how much longer we're staying here?" Ginny whispered to Ron and Hermione in a not-so-subtle manner. Harry's eyebrows furrowed at her impatience but decided not to dwell on it. They could've been there a lot longer than he knew.

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied. "I assume it's on Molly's call since we're all going back to The Burrow after this."

Pursing her lips together in mild frustration, all Ginny said was a short, "Hmm." Before turning to face Harry. "Hello, Jake. I don't believe we've met." She extended her hand and said, "I'm Ginny."

"Nice to meet you, Ginny," Harry said, shaking her hand.

"So, how did you and Gabrielle meet?" Ginny asked, soliciting an interested response from Hermione and Ron as well.

Harry flexed his arm to stop himself from running his hand through his hair. "We met at Bernie's Apothecary. That's where I've been working." Harry said, briefly glancing back over to Gabrielle. "I started work on my Potions Mastery, and she followed shortly after. I've helped at Apollo Gardens too, so we became close."

"Wow, you're studying for a potions mastery?" Inquired Hermione. "How did you manage to find anyone to teach you? Last I heard, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find anyone to grant a potions mastery."

"Yeah, the opportunity sort of fell into my lap, and I decided to take full advantage of it," Harry said. "Been studying ever since."

"That sounds fascinating!" Hermione exclaimed enthusiastically. Harry had to keep himself from smiling at her overenthusiastic nature when it came to books and learning. "I've read about a few of the Potions Masters of our world, but I never heard of Bernie. What is he like as an instructor?"

"Well…" Harry began, trying to find a way to describe him. "He's a sarcastic git most of the time. He swears a lot. But he knows more about the intricacies of potions and brewing than anyone I've ever met."

Eyes wide, Hermione was drinking in every word while Ron and Ginny gave each other exasperated and bored looks. "He sounds fascinating," Hermione replied. "I'll have to do some more research on him when we get home."

The group discussed more topics as they waited and visited with the rest of the family. It got to the point that Harry felt completely comfortable, almost forgetting that they didn't know who he actually was. The thought saddened him because he would love to continue feeling as though he had his friends back again. He felt a pang in his chest as he remembered why he disappeared in the first place.

Just as he was beginning to miss his friendship with them, Ginny spoke up again. "Hermione, how's your work with Kingsley going? I forgot to ask earlier."

Hermione pressed her lips together and answered, "It's going pretty well, I guess. We still can't figure out what's happening with all the deaths and attacks, and we still can't find any trace of Harry, but we haven't taken a step back so, that's comforting at least."

Twitching his ear at the sound of his name, Harry turned toward the girls and asked, "What do you do at the Ministry?"

"She created a new ministry branch is what she did," Ron said admiringly. Hermione shoved his arm playfully and turned to Harry to explain.

"I took inspiration from a professor we had at Hogwarts. He played spy against Voldemort without anyone knowing." Hermione explained as she took a breath and continued. "This 'branch' Ron mentioned is a section of the ministry that acts as spies for suspicious activities and is neutral throughout every ministry in the world. I handle all the information that the workers find, and try to find commonalities within that information and compare that to what other parts of the ministry have gathered to more efficiently detect dark magic and criminal activity. We're slowly becoming active in every magical ministry in the world. Yesterday we actually set up our first meeting with our branch at MACUSA."

At the end of Hermione's explanation, Ginny leaned forward and gently touched Harry on the arm. "Yeah, and she'll talk about it all day if you let her." Ginny and Ron laughed good-naturedly as a sarcastic scowl spread over Hermione's features.

"I think it sounds like a brilliant idea," Harry said in her defense, truly awed at everything she had accomplished. He awkwardly stepped away from Ginny's touch and glanced back to Gabrielle. She was staring at them and noticed the exchange between him and Ginny. He shrugged his shoulders slightly to hopefully convey that the gesture didn't make sense to him and was unwanted.

At that moment, Harry noticed that Gabrielle was holding Victoire. Gabrielle nodded her head in understanding at their silent exchange and smiled brightly, holding up the small bundle in her arms.

A warm smile softened Harry's features as he excused himself from the group and walked over to where Gabrielle was sitting with the baby and Fleur. He stooped down as Gabrielle looked down into the baby's face and cooed softly at her.

"She's beautiful," Harry commented, turning to Fleur.

"Thank you, H-Jake," Fleur said, catching herself. "Sorry I'm a little tired. Would you like to hold her?"

Harry didn't want to take his eyes away from Gabrielle. His chest warmed suddenly at a thought that slowly crept into his mind. Gabrielle was holding a baby; what if, one day, she could hold their baby…

"Sure, I'll hold her," Harry said, reaching forward and bringing his arms together to effectively cradle her.

Gabrielle seamlessly passed the baby into Harry's arms, and he stood up to rock her gently. The other occupants of the room briefly quieted their chatter as they saw Harry take Victoire.

Looking down from the baby, Harry's eyes met Gabrielle's and they smiled, sharing a silent exchange. Harry momentarily forgot that the rest of the Weasley's were in the room with them as he looked lovingly into Gabrielle's eyes; something he would love to do till the end of eternity.

He held Victoire till someone else in the room demanded to hold her, to which he passed her off. Soon after, however, the Weasley family started to leave, beginning with George and Charlie. Ginny convinced Ron and Hermione to go shortly after, and then finally, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They each gave him a hug and handshake goodbye, inviting him over to The Burrow for supper whenever he wanted.

As tempting as the offer was, he knew deep down that he could never accept for fear of being discovered. He thanked them anyway and walked back over to sit next to Gabrielle as she chatted away with her sister and mother.

The small group stayed for another hour before Apolline stood up and said, "We had better leave now, Gabrielle. Jake," She gestured to Bill and Fleur. "They need to rest and spend time together alone. Too much excitement for one day."

Gabrielle stood up and hugged Fleur as best she could, Apolline doing the same. After saying their goodbyes, Apolline left ahead of them to apparate back to the Gardens.

Harry and Gabrielle walked down the halls of St. Mungo's hand in hand, in no rush to leave immediately.

"Wasn't she just the most adorable thing you've ever seen in your life?" Gabrielle said. "I could hold her all day!"

They laughed and talked together as they made their way through the different halls to the entrance. There was an awful lot of people running around, but Harry ignored them, keeping his focus on Gabrielle.

Halfway through their walk out of the Hospital, they were almost mowed over by five different Healers. "Must've gotten a call," Gabrielle commented as they moved out of their way. "When I studied to become a Healer, that was one of the first things we learned. Healers from different wards can help in other areas if called upon."

"When did you stop training to become a Healer?" asked Harry. "I thought I remembered you saying that you were training to become one. I just forgot about it till now."

Gabrielle let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, I was for a bit. But I got so caught up with helping mum in the Gardens and helping with papa that I decided to put it aside for the time being. Plus I can get my potions mastery easier than becoming a Healer at the moment, so I'm just going a bit out of order for now. Besides, I think I'll earn more with a potions mastery under my belt anyway."

Harry nodded his head as he squeezed her hand to move themselves farther to one side as three more Healers rushed past them. "Damn," Harry commented.

As they got closer to the main atrium, voices started sounding through the halls, softly at first, but then crescendo-ing into a rising panic. Harry locked eyes with Gabrielle as concern shrouded their expressions. They quickened their pace, winding through more Healers.

After what felt like a mile stretch, the couple finally made it to the atrium. They came to an abrupt stop at the sight before them.

Spread across the entire atrium were people; injured and bleeding, or dead. Gabrielle gasped at the sight and held onto Harry's arm as they wound themselves through the crowd. There was panic as Healers ran to grab potions and Healers from other wards to help. Still, more people were being apparated to the scene for treatment.

Worry etched across her face, Gabrielle took charge and led them to a nearby Healer treating an unconscious patient.

"Sir, what happened?" Gabrielle asked without letting go of Harry's arm.

The man answered without looking up from his work. "There's been an attack." He was running diagnostic spells and grabbed a potion from another Healer. "That's all I know." He made quick work of his job and went on to the next patient.

Harry and Gabrielle locked eyes. There was blood on the ground everywhere they looked.


	16. Devestation

Author's Note: Hello again everyone! I am so glad to be posting another chapter! I know it has been a while since I last posted (almost a month I believe) and for that I do apologize. I have to admit that after returning back home I have not been feeling myself and have been extremely unmotivated to do much of anything except stare at my TV and unable to sleep. I am just now starting to feel more like myself so I hope to be posting more. If there is ever a break like this again, please know that I would never abandon this story, as I am way too excited about some of the major plot points and the ending to ever give it up.

That being said, the story is pretty much entirely planned out, but we do still appreciate your guesses and where you would like to see the story go. With that, I am not entirely happy still about the beginning of the story so I may take some time to edit some more for better flow and consistency. I'll post all the edits with the next chapter so hopefully it won't take me too long to conjure up.

I really hope you enjoy our story!

Please review or DM us! It is all appreciated!

Disclaimer: All of Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling.

~oOo~

Harry's head began to spin at the sight of so much blood spattered on the ground and only brought him to one conclusion: whatever happened had been devastating.

As if he was frozen on the spot, Harry didn't move a muscle as he took in the scene before him. There were people crawling around on the ground, some holding wounds, others holding friends or family members. There were shouts and cries that echoed throughout the atrium, healers rushing to the aid of the ones who were hurt the worst. One woman, in particular, seemed to have taken a slicing jinx to the gut, and a team of healers were trying to carefully put her intestines back inside her as she faded in and out of consciousness.

The metallic scent of blood overshadowed any other scent in the building. Internally, Harry was reminded of the final battle at Hogwarts. Breathing heavily, eyes full of fear and worry, Harry slowly scanned the room, trying to make sense of what was happening, yet unable to focus on one thing specifically. Sweat began to drip down the side of his face and his hands began to shake before he heard a strangled whisper. "Harry?"

As though snapping out of his horrified trance, Harry glanced down at Gabrielle without turning his head. He was beginning to hyperventilate.

Sensing his rising panic, Gabrielle placed a gentle hand on his arm and whispered, "We'll help them." She gave his arm a reassuring squeeze and promptly led them to another group of healers. All Harry could see was his friends and family, dead, flashes of the Final Battle at Hogwarts in the forefront of his mind.

"We're here to help," Gabrielle said forcefully, dragging Harry with her. She held up her expired healer trainee badge while Harry nodded his agreement from behind her, swaying a bit on the spot.

The healer before them nearly sighed in relief. "Please, tend to the ones with less serious injuries." The healer pointed them to the left and began to walk away, but abruptly stopped and turned back around as though she had forgotten to mention something. "We also will need someone upstairs."

Harry and Gabrielle glanced at each other, quickly sharing a silent conversation and nodding to each other. Harry stepped forward and nodded at the healer in front of him to indicate he would follow.

"Come with me." The Healer said and grabbed Harry's arm before dragging him away. Harry glanced back at Gabrielle, who nodded in reassurance before she turned and began helping the injured with the other Healers.

As Harry walked with the Healer, she explained what she needed him to do. "We're not usually prepared for attacks like this, not since the war." They rounded another corner, toward the poison ward. "I can already tell you we are going to run out of healing potions as some are being sent to other centers as well. I need you to deliver the completed potions to the healers in the atrium as our potioneers finish them."

Glad to be out of the atrium and away from the blood, Harry nodded his head and wondered if he was just going to act as delivery boy for the potions, not saying much as they began climbing the stairs to the third floor.

"All the other healers that are medically trained and certified will be attending to patients, so we need all the help we can get." The Healer explained as the came to a large ornate door.

They promptly entered a large room that had potion stations around the entire perimeter of the ward, as well as rows of stations through the middle. Harry paused at the door and took in his surroundings more carefully. The room was scarcely decorated except for the bright red colored robes of the potioneers. There was about five or six of them, each at a station with one or two cauldrons at a time. The Healer he was following led him to the head of the potions and poison ward before she promptly fled to tend to the chaos downstairs.

A sudden thought struck Harry as he was confronted with the head of the Potion Ward. "I can brew." Harry stated, not wasting time.

The woman, named Jane by the looks of her nametag, narrowed her eyes into slits and impatiently shuffled some of the papers in her hand, no doubt lists of potions they needed. "We do not let just anyone brew here." Jane said matter-of-factly. "You will deliver the potions and that is all." Her no nonsense air about her reminded him of a much less welcoming Minerva McGonagall.

Harry almost growled in frustration. There were people dying downstairs and he was not going to subject himself into being a delivery boy of potions he knew he could brew. "Ma'am, I am close to earning my potions mastery. I can brew these potions."

Jane narrowed her eyes again, but she knew as well as anyone that they were in need of some more brewers since most of her staff was currently downstairs.

Without saying a word, she led him to a station with two cauldrons near the middle of the room. "We could use Blood Replenishing Potion quite desperately actually. If you could make a few vats of that, you can move on to a few antidotes, Wiggenweld, Calming draught, and a basic wound cleaning potion. The entire team is working on the blood replenishing potion right now so maybe get started on something a little easier, like the Wiggenweld." Harry looked at her gratefully, happy that she was letting him brew instead of just deliver potions, when she interjected. "And if you ruin any cauldrons, ladles, or ingredients with a botched potion, you will personally pay for the replacements."

Tilting his head, Harry snorted his amusement at Jane's words as he rolled up his sleeves. "That won't be necessary."

Harry began grabbing all empty cauldrons he could and set two to three on a potions station, taking up the entire row of six stations: almost fifteen cauldrons in all. Harry's plan was simple: each table would be a different potion. He would use the techniques that Bernie had taught him to create multiples of each potion, while also using the larger cauldrons to get more than one vial out of each. All the potions Jane had mentioned were all recipes that he had memorized for his mastery, and he felt confident that he was not going to fail the people who were injured, or worst of all, Gabrielle.

Jane had gone back to her station after Harry took off to the ingredients closet, and began taking down everything he needed in bulk. The woman hadn't even realized how many cauldrons he had set out till he began laying out the ingredients for each potion, preparing them on the cutting boards and dividing them up equally before starting his brewing.

"Maybe you should just stick with one," Jane said behind him at her own station as he worked away at the fourth table, almost ready to fill the cauldrons with water and light the fires. She reached forward and start moving his ingredients around before he reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Harry said, squeezing her wrist lightly and giving her a pointed stare that showed her his annoyance. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

"I can't let you do this. You are going to waste all of these ingredients." Jane said withdrawing her hand angrily. "You will stop this nonsense now."

"Hey, I was asked to help, so I will be using my strengths to help. I am only a few potions away from receiving my potions mastery and I know what I'm doing, so back off." Harry drew himself up to his full height and stepped toward her. "There are people dying downstairs. I think a little risk is in order as well as some trust."

Stepping back, Jane narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You can't trust anyone these days."

Confused, Harry tilted his head, scrunching his eyebrows together at her sudden declaration before she turned and walked away. Shaking his head, Harry continued to work quickly till he had every ingredient ready, all cauldrons filled, and all vials ready as he tried to forget what Jane had said.

Once he began the actual brewing process, the rest was a breeze. He had set the cauldrons up specifically so they would be timed in perfect rhythm to be ready to add the next ingredient just as the potion before it had finished with needing its next ingredient. Harry's brewing was like a dance as he never stopped moving, and actually garnered the attention of many of the other trained potioneers in the room as they watched him work.

Around the hour mark of Harry's brewing, a few healers from the atrium rushed up asking for more potions, just as they had suspected. They had indeed run out of potions. Harry worked fervently as the potioneers gave the healer their finished brews before starting another one.

By the time the second hour was up, Harry wiped his brow proudly as he began to decant each potion, soliciting at least three vials from each cauldron. The other potioneers watched in awe as he successfully finished brewing well over forty different vials of potions.

And just in time. A team of healers rushed in looking desperate for more potions. The other potioneers merely pointed to Harry as he began loading the vials into a crate he had conjured. The healers quickly grabbed as many crates as they could carry and took off without saying another word. They couldn't grab all of them however and Harry decided to follow them. He grabbed another small crate of blood replenishing potions, Wiggenweld, dreamless sleep, and wound cleaning potions as he bid the other potioneers goodbye.

Upon entering the atrium with the other Healers, Harry noticed that the severely injured were still being tended to, as they were too weak or fragile to move away from where they collapsed. Harry scanned the room, pushing aside his horrified feelings at the sight of so much blood on the ground. After Harry grounded himself, he realized there weren't as many people as he originally thought; maybe a hundred or so lay on the ground. There were Healers everywhere and a few rushed up to him to grab some potions out of the crate before scampering off again.

Finally, Harry located Gabrielle and quickly rushed to her side. She was kneeling over a young woman with a head, arm, and back injury. Her hands were covered in blood as she tried to stop the bleeding from her head, just as the woman passed out. "NO!" Gabrielle yelled in frustration. "Stay with me!"

Another Healer stepped in and helped Gabrielle staunch the bleeding as Harry bent down and handed them a Blood replenishing potion. Gabrielle breathed in a sigh of relief and gently tipped the contents of the vial into the woman's mouth. Thankfully, the woman swallowed the contents and regained the color back into her face, if only a little.

Leaning back in relief, the Healers dismissed her as they hauled the woman off into a clean bed in the trauma ward. Gabrielle shakily magicked her hands clean and then brushed away some hair that had fallen into her face and stuck in odd places from the sweat.

Knowing that she was on the verge of either crying, having a mental breakdown, or both, Harry silently handed her a small swallow of some Draught of Peace potion that he had brewed. He knew her nerves would be frazzled and set aside a bit just for her.

She recognized the contents immediately and gratefully took the small vial within her shaking grasp, leaning into Harry's touch.

Harry sighed in relief as he watched the worry melt away from her features. She promptly stood back up and began her work once again. They worked together in a similar fashion. She would tend to patients and Harry would fetch potions that were needed for the Healers around the Atrium, often going back up to the third floor for another crate while Gabrielle stayed and continued helping the injured. Luckily, Harry had brewed enough of the potions to last them for a while and didn't need to brew anymore.

After another grueling hour, it seemed that the injured had finally stopped crawling through the doors. The final patient was taken care of and the cleaning team had already begun scourgifying any remnants of blood from the floors and walls.

Satisfied that everyone was taken care of, many of the Healers rushed off to begin their reports and continue their work on the patients that had arrived that day. Harry saw Gabrielle nearly slumped over in emotional exhaustion as she spoke with one of the head Healers.

Harry slowly made his way to her side and the Healer began to address them both. "We cannot thank you enough for your help today," The man said, rubbing his hands together. "This has been a tragedy for the ages."

"What in the world happened to cause this?" Gabrielle asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.

The healer shook his head sadly. "I'm afraid we don't even know the extent of why this happened. We're hearing mixed stories from our less injured patients." A different healer walked by and handed the man some papers, which he took into his hands before continuing. "Some were saying that a family or friend just went crazy. Others have said that a complete stranger just came up to them and opened fire. And still, others have said it was multiple people, trying to bring buildings down on top of them." The healer shook his head in disgust again as he said, "We received quite a lot of the overflow from the other countries hospitals, seeing as we have the most advanced people working here compared to the others."

At this comment from the healer, Gabrielle nearly shook her head in surprise, narrowing her eyes incredulously. "What do you mean other countries? This didn't just happen in Britain near St. Mungo's?"

Harry glanced into Gabrielle's fearful eyes as the worst was confirmed for them. "No. As far as we could tell by the patients being transported by healers of different countries, we have patients from Britain, France, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Austria."

Gabrielle shook her head in disbelief. It was as though every ounce of energy and thought had left her body as she processed this new information.

Carefully stepping forward, Harry grabbed her hand reassuringly and gave her a small, sad smile. Deep down they both knew that with multiple attackers, it would be nearly impossible to bring whoever did this to justice: and the very thought angered Harry to no end. But with all his past knowledge on the last wizarding war against Voldemort, Harry had learned that there is always a rallying point to convince so many people to do their bidding. Now the question was, who was that person?

The healer they were speaking to put a reassuring hand on Gabrielle's shoulder and gave them an equally sad smile. "You have both been a tremendous help. You should go home and rest."

"But what if there's something else you need help with?" Gabrielle protested.

The man simply smiled at her defiance, just as Jane from the potions and poisons ward walked up to the group. "I promise we have everything under control." The man greeted Jane as she approached as Gabrielle's shoulders slumped further at the thought that there was nothing else she could do to help.

When Jane stopped walking, she nodded her acknowledgment to the man beside her, uttering a softly spoken, "Cassius," in greeting. Sighing abruptly, she immediately turned to face the couple before her before addressing Harry. "What is your name?" She asked.

Harry's brows furrowed slightly as he replied an uncertain, "Uhh…Jake."

Jane raised her nose into the air, giving Harry the sense that she was sizing him up. "That was some fine potions work you did back there."

Unsure if she was actually complimenting him or opening the conversation to insult him, Harry replied uncertainly a questioning, "Thanks."

Sighing rapidly, Jane quickly continued her train of thought. "We need more people like you, Jake. I have never seen anyone brew more than three cauldrons in that room and they are all highly-trained potioneers. It takes true talent to brew four cauldrons worth of potions and antidotes, let alone over ten different potions as you did today with obvious ease."

Gabrielle raised her eyebrows at this accusation and smiled uncertainly up at Harry. Harry was beginning to not like where the conversation was headed and began to feel distinctly uncomfortable.

Without hesitation, Jane glanced at the Healer named Cassius standing beside her before she continued. "We could use more potioneers like you, Jake. I am willing to bet you could brew some pretty powerful concoctions."

The Healer and potioneer looked at him expectantly as Harry nearly fumbled with the right thing to say. "Look, I only did what I had to. I see it as performing my civic duty. I knew how to brew those potions, so I did it to help. Nothing more."

"Yes, but can't you see how many lives you saved today? Think of what else you'd be able to do with that kind of knowledge at our disposal." Jane's eyes were suddenly wide with excitement at the very prospect of having Harry on her team.

Harry dropped Gabrielle's hand and held it up in an attempt to placate her. "I will not be joining your team. And there's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise."

The features of Jane's face hardened at his words as she ground out, "You said you were close to having a potions mastery. Why get the mastery if you don't want to do anything worthwhile with it?"

Harry breathed in a long breath, holding it for a second in exasperation before letting it out and saying, "Honestly, I don't have to explain anything to you." He lifted his hands in frustration and added, "I'm happy with where I am now. I'm not changing it."

Pursing her lips together, Jane's face became slightly impassive. "Fine. But please reconsider my offer. We could really use a fine young man such as yourself around here." Jane reached into the inside pocket of her robes and pulled out a small piece of paper and duplicated it with her wand. She handed the slips of paper to both Harry and Gabrielle. "If you change your mind, please contact me. You as well young lady. We could always use more Healers like you too."

Gabrielle smiled politely and took Harry's paper before pocketing them both within her robes. They exchanged their goodbyes with Cassius and Jane before they finally made their way out the door and apparated back to their flat.

Their Saturday completely spent, they both landed on the couch, completely drained and exhausted from the day's events. They had both experienced elated happiness, concern and confusion, anger, fear, and a myriad of other emotions all within the span of a few hours. The effects of the Draught of Peace Harry had given Gabrielle was beginning to fade away but the adrenaline that was forced through their veins at the gruesome sight in the Atrium of St. Mungo's had also begun to dissipate.

The couple sat together in reflective silence on Harry's sofa before Gabrielle made herself and Harry a hastily put together sandwich for the two of them before gliding to the bathroom to shower.

Harry listened carefully for the hiss of the water to start and waited a few moments before entering the bathroom himself. He slowly stripped himself of his clothes and then paused to admire the foggy outline of Gabrielle's curvy body through the sliding shower door. He couldn't help but give a small smile and then stepped into the shower to join her.

As he did so, she turned around slowly and admired his naked body before her. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she stood on her toes to give him a simple kiss, the water running down her back in soothing rivers as she felt his bare chest with her hands, taking comfort in his presence.

Harry helped move some of the hair that had stuck to her chest to her back and sighed. "You were amazing today."

A soft pink color rose to her cheeks as she looked to her side, grateful for the compliment. "You were too." She paused before asking, "Are you okay? For a moment there I thought you were going to…I don't know…panic or something."

Nodding his head, Harry pondered her words. "I almost did. I was reminded of the Final Battle, seeing all of my friends and family dead or dying. I guess I haven't completely forgiven myself yet. I know it wasn't my fault, but I can't help feeling guilty."

Gabrielle nodded her head in understanding. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her bare breasts against him, also feeling his length harden more at the feel of it touching her skin as she set her head on his shoulder and angled her nose into the crook of his neck. "I would hate to think that you thought this attack was your fault too. Because it wasn't."

Harry nodded against her head and said, "Yeah, I know. It was just the reminder of those feelings. Once I got over that it was fine, so no need to worry about it." Harry pulled back as a sudden thought struck him. "I'm more concerned that I may have painted a target on me again."

Gabrielle pulled back in confusion and scrunched her brows together. "Why do you think that?"

"Most of the potioneers in that ward were only brewing one or two small cauldrons. I brewed over fifteen large cauldrons of many different potions. There's no way I wasn't noticed. I mean, you saw how that Jane lady reacted. She was almost angry."

"Don't worry about them," Gabrielle said, effectively shushing him with a gentle kiss. "Most people in the wizarding world don't even consider potions to be a formidable form of magic. Until they've been poisoned that is. I'm sure they were just shocked to see a supposedly untrained wizard perform such high levels of potions that they were intimidated."

"Exactly," Harry stated. "We still don't know who was behind this attack. Who the mastermind behind it was. I really don't see this as something we can ignore any longer, despite what Bernie says." Harry shook his head in frustration, then gently spun Gabrielle on the spot so her back was facing her. He grabbed her shampoo bottle and squeezed some of its contents into his hand before lathering it through her hair. "If I have, in fact, came off as too powerful in any branch of magic, I could become a target. And by extension, you would be too." Harry spun her around to rinse out the suds. He stared into her cobalt eyes as he whispered, "And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything were to happen to you."

Sensing his dread, Gabrielle raised her hand and gently caressed his cheek. "I will stand by you no matter what," Gabrielle stated reassuringly. She reached up with her other hand and held his face. "I love you, Harry."

Harry's breath caught in his chest before he let it out in a gush of excitement and awe, blinking away his astonishment. "I love you too, Gabrielle." He leaned down and kissed her gently, cupping her face in his hand, as though to seal their fate.

As elated as Harry was about the words Gabrielle had uttered, Harry still felt uncomfortable, but couldn't figure out as to why. When he voiced his concern to Gabrielle, she looked at him thoughtfully, this time, washing Harry's back and front as an intimate way to repay the favor he had just given her. "Perhaps the realization that this was the first massive attack by a bunch of random witches and wizards means we've let our guard down for too long." She said, turning him around to finish her task. "What does your Auror training tell you about situations about this?"

Harry let out a sigh of long suffering. "Our training dictates that in these types of situations, we must never fire the first shot unless first attacked. Try to cause as little harm as possible but always be ready to duel and apprehend the culprit, using mostly defensive spells."

"Then maybe we could keep ourselves prepared." Gabrielle stated, smiling at Harry as he turned around bewildered.

She answered his questioning gaze. "Perhaps we could start dueling each other, so we're in dueling shape, should the need arise. I think this incident today proves that we shouldn't be letting our guard down after all."

Harry nodded, small at first and then gained enthusiasm as the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach lessened, if only marginally.

They finished showering and stepped out into the bedroom and readied themselves for bed, speaking of their new agreement to begin dueling and practicing whenever they could in the sanctuary of Apollo Gardens.

Two things Harry knew for sure: he needed to speak with Bernie about finding this killer, and he needed to speak with Pierre to find out what else he knew about these attacks.

~oOo~

The next day, Gabrielle sent an owl to her parents to make sure they were okay. They received one shortly after saying they were fine but didn't want to put too many details into a letter just in case it was intercepted, and that Pierre was working non-stop at the French Ministry. Essentially, there was nothing they could do until Pierre's workload lessened considerably.

Sunday passed and the couple welcomed Monday gratefully, happy to have some sense of normalcy in their work.

When Harry waltzed into the apothecary, he was greeted by an empty room. _Odd. I expected Bernie to be back…_ Harry thought. He finished prepping the shop and opened the store at the usual time with still no sign of Bernie. After checking the back room and Bernie's office multiple times, Harry decided to stop worrying and realized that Bernie wasn't back from his trip.

Customers came and went and as the hours passed, a sense of dread slowly began to creep into the forefront of Harry's mind. Bernie had left for the weekend, there was a mass attack across multiple countries, and he had no word from the man. Harry scratched his head as he wondered whether or not Bernie was actually alive at this point. Maybe he got caught in the crossfire? Or could it be something way more sinister?

Hating how vague the Healers had been at St. Mungo's about the source of the attacks, he found it very difficult to sit still and bide his time. He had to do something. People had died and whoever was responsible was still out there. He most definitely didn't want to join forces with the ministry again, but perhaps there was another way… Then only comfort he garnered for himself was the promised dueling sessions with Gabrielle.

Sighing, Harry leaned back in his chair and glanced around the shop. After a moment of silence and no foreseeable customers, Harry stood up and walked to Bernie's office. Upon entry, he went straight to the bookcase and pulled down the giant history book from the bookshelf in the corner. Maybe this was a decent place to start.

Harry had delved into the history book as often as he could throughout the rest of the day but only read through to the early 1500s. The only things he could find was some information on the Black Death Plague (A wizarding disease that wiped out much of the muggle and wizard population alike; actually a form of Dragon Pox that led to one of the biggest potions reformations in history), some obscure information about protests and witch burning during that time (most notably led by Joan of Ark), and the discovery of America.

Frustrated by the lack of information, Harry closed the book and placed it back on its shelf when the day ended.

When Harry returned back to the flat, Gabrielle informed him that she had sent an owl to Bernie to make sure he was alright, only to receive a short reply that he was fine and would return the next day.

Satisfied with his answer, they waited for the shining rays of twilight before they retired into each other's arms.

~oOo~

As the sun streamed into the bedroom the next morning, Harry was again greeted with the welcoming sight of his girlfriend, naked in his bed. Gabrielle's hair surrounded her angelic face in an array of wavy tresses, tickling the side of Harry's face when he moved. Her expression was of the utmost serenity and her breathing came in long, even sighs.

He still couldn't believe that he was lucky enough to wake up to her every morning, not to mention that she felt the same. The mornings were quickly becoming one of Harry's favorite times of the day, which was saying something, seeing as he was a night owl through and through. He loved the anticipation of seeing her wake up and fumble around in her groggy state as she peered at him through her drowsy eyes. It only made him fall for her that much harder.

The other night, after the attack and the news of it finally made headlines, they had shared a moment that had meant a great deal to Harry. She told him that she loved him. And the first one to say so as well. Harry never knew that those three words would be able to stir such strong emotions within him. He didn't like to think of himself as an emotional person, but something about those words were so liberating that he couldn't help but feel excitement, giddiness, awe, and fear all wrapped into one.

He knew that he loved her, and he knew that if he lost her, he would be devastated. But the thought that Ginny had once said she loved him, and then left him for Dean still made fear a dominant feeling in the depths of his chest.

Those thoughts soon vanished as he remembered a crucial aspect of his girlfriend. _She is nothing like Ginny._ The very remembrance of Ginny and her antics throughout their relationship actually began to anger him considerably when he compared his past relationship to the relationship he shared with Gabrielle.

Gabrielle was kind and considerate of, not only his feelings but those around her. He admired everything about her from her personality, to the way her nose scrunched up when she laughed, the way her hair swayed back and forth when she walks, not to mention her perfect body and otherworldly beauty. Everything about her, she was perfect in every way.

Gabrielle's stirring brought Harry out of his thoughts as he stared at her lovingly. He gently caressed her side as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and gave him a tired grin. He kissed her lightly and they dressed for the day.

After a lengthy and passion-filled goodbye to Gabrielle, they parted ways and Harry walked into an empty Apothecary once again.

Confused, Harry checked the office and backroom and was greeted with silence and emptiness both times.

Mentally shrugging, Harry began his day's work and opened the shop. The day was slow and not many customers seemed to be shopping for potions ingredients since the scare of the attack left many feelings of unease across the country. The relative silence of the store only shocked Harry more when he suddenly heard Bernie step through the door of his office, scaring the daylights out of him.

Holding his wand out and ready to defend, Harry placed his hand over his beating heart as he realized who was standing before him. "Bernie!" Harry yelled across the room. "What the hell are you doing, sneaking up on me like that?!"

Bernie just glared at him, "It's not my fault you're not observant." Bernie walked around the counter and took his usual seat, expecting Harry to go about the store and do his normal studying, cleaning, or organizing. Bernie crossed his arms and glared off through the window, obviously in a foul mood.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of yet another bad mood but decided to chance it anyway. "Did you…find what you were looking for?"

Eyeing him carefully through narrowed slits, Bernie replied gruffly, "What makes you think I was looking for anything?"

Harry could tell he was walking on thin ice so he changed the subject quick. "When did you get into your office? I went in there earlier and you weren't in there."

"There's a lot you don't know about me, Harry. Maybe my office is the same." Giving him an exasperatedly annoyed look, Bernie brought the conversation to close with a resounding finality.

All Harry could think of throughout the day after that conversation was that Bernie seemed truly depressed. While the older man didn't snap as much, he was staring off into space, not even budging if a customer walked in and expressed no desire to brew anything or teach Harry anything new either. His mood was much worse than the first few times he had gone off on his trips.

Knowing first hand that people usually have a good reason for being upset, Harry didn't press the issue and tread lightly during his studying throughout the day.

The one thing that piqued Harry's curiosity now was the fact that Bernie seemed to have appeared out of nowhere within his office, and it was blatantly obvious he was hiding something. He had a secret potions lab, odd pictures hanging on the walls, and now this new appearance from within his office when he wasn't there before. Not to mention, the strange books he had shelved and the random days that he would be gone, searching for something that he apparently couldn't find.

Well, since he couldn't get a direct answer from him, maybe he'd just have to do some digging himself.

~oOo~

After the week had passed, Harry found himself striding up the grand staircase of Delacour Mansion. His footfalls echoed off the marble as he ascended the steps, giving Harry the sense that he was in a massive cavern as his feet slapped on a thin sheet of water. The grand manor didn't normally feel so…lifeless. Even with Gabrielle in the sitting room with Apolline, the house didn't have the same excitement as it usually did when they often visited together.

Pierre had fallen ill again. So ill in fact that he was completely bedridden and was unable to draw out even accidental magic. He could still stand and move to use the restroom and the like, however, the very motion of standing on his own feet was taxing. Bernie had begun work on another potion for him as soon as he heard the news.

Harry slowly entered the room in which Pierre resided and was welcomed with a shaky wave of his hand. He sat down next to Pierre as the man gradually sat himself up.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked though the answer was obvious.

Pierre laughed heartily and then wheezed from the effort. "It's a new day. Anything is possible."

Smiling sadly at his comment, Harry fidgeted with his hands before he got to the point of what he actually wanted to ask him. "Pierre, I was just wondering if you could tell me what you know about Bernie?"

Pierre eyed him, amused by his question. "That's not what I was expecting." He chuckled to himself as Harry gave him a questioning look, prompting him to explain. "Never mind that. What would you like to know?"

"I don't know, really. Anything you know." Harry said before asking, "How did you come to know each other?"

Pierre scratched his chin thoughtfully. "He was always just…there." He thought a bit more before adding, "I remember meeting him through Albus Dumbledore, mainly as a favor to my wife to help her garden along. He was over so often that he became part of the family.

He only stopped coming over once the garden was finished. He practically watched my girls grow up along with us. And when I got the ministry position, he was always very informative and insightful. In addition, he's helped me through whatever ailment seems to be taking over my body, and for that, I owe him my life."

Harry nodded in agreement and understanding, taking in Pierre's words. "Why do you ask, son?" Pierre inquired curiously.

Taking a deep breath, Harry let out a long sigh before saying, "I was only wondering. I know next to nothing about him. And—"

"And what?" Pierre prompted.

Unsure of how to come about the issue, Harry decided to be upfront with his thoughts. "I don't know what he's all about. He's been disappearing and he was gone during that attack. He didn't even seem to care."

Resting his head back against the headboard of the bed, Pierre looked to be deep in thought. A line had appeared between his brows and he pursed his lips before answering. "I take it you don't trust Bernie?"

Eyes widening, Harry took in Pierre's expression and found an amused smirk. "I'm not sure if that's quite it. But I do feel he's hiding something."

"We all have something to hide, Jake."

An eerie silence followed his statement and took only a fraction of a second for Harry to fully process what had been said. The air stood still and Harry felt himself hold his breath as he glanced back up to look Pierre in the eyes. _Could he know?_

Harry gulped uncomfortably and looked away as Pierre smirked smugly. Unsure if he should comment, Harry continued their conversation. "Yeah." He ran his fingers through his long hair, fidgeting with the hem of his robe. "I guess I was just afraid that he was possibly involved in the attack somehow."

This revelation seemed to take Pierre by surprise because his eyebrows raised slightly in shock before returning to normal. "That's a pretty serious accusation. Why do you say that?"

"In all honesty, it's mainly just a concern since he was nowhere to be found during that attack, and was seemingly fine upon his return. The healers at St Mungo's didn't tell us anything so I was actually hoping you would enlighten us as to what actually happened."

Pierre nodded his head in agreement and gave Harry a soft smile. "I'm sure you will find what I have to say just as frustratingly vague as what the Healers have told you."

The man cleared his throat and then relayed as much of the information as he could. "The attack is currently under investigation by both Aurors and our new spy branch led by Hermione Granger." (Harry was a little taken aback that Hermione didn't change her last name to Weasley after marrying Ron, but brushed the thought away). "So far, the only credible information our sources have found is that there were over 100 people killed and over 300 injured across the continent. Most ended up at St. Mungo's seeing as the facilities are much larger and much more private. Nevertheless, Granger's team is conducting interviews with the friends and family members of those who were attacked to see if there was any similar strife or a sudden personality change between the victims or attackers. They have found that most of the attackers were strangers, but more surprisingly, a majority of them include friends and family.

We were, however, fortunate enough to catch one such attacker in the act, and is currently in a cell waiting for questioning. Unfortunately, with any government action, things take time. If I had my way, we would already know what that man had done and why with the help of some veritaserum. But alas, it is illegal." Pierre shook his head disapprovingly which earned an amused chuckle from Harry.

"And here I thought you were sitting high up on your minister throne and abiding by all the rules." Harry teased with a smile.

Pierre pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "Jake, if only you knew how idiotic people can be sometimes. No one quite fully understands what goes on behind closed doors at the ministry until they are made privy." He drew in a breath and gave Harry a mischievous smile. "Fortunately for me, I've become rather good at reading people and analyzing situations to make up for those shortcomings."

They chuckled amiably together for a second before Harry again turned serious. "So, you don't think Bernie had anything to do with this?"

A shaking hand was placed on Harry's shoulder. "If I know my friend, he was out there trying to help prevent what was happening."

Satisfied with his answer and putting his trust in Gabrielle's father, Harry nodded gratefully and stood from his spot. "Thank you, sir. I'll let you rest now."

He strode into the kitchen and was greeted by Gabrielle, who stood up and kissed him gently on the cheek as he sat himself down. She gave him a curious look, silently asking if he got the information he needed. Harry smiled knowingly, trying to let her know he was successful in his questioning, to which Gabrielle nodded as well, satisfied for the moment until they could talk about it privately.

Apolline smiled warmly at the couple and at the affection her daughter was showing in front of her. The three conversed quietly for a few more minutes, as was usual, before Harry and Gabrielle decided to leave before dinner after Gabrielle spoke with her father for a few short minutes.

The couple prepared their food together inside their flat, and Harry relayed the information that he had discussed with her father.

"I don't think Bernie was involved. Though I would like to ask Bernie a few more questions." Harry added spices to the dish while Gabrielle magically chopped their potatoes and carrots. "I'm afraid I won't have the opportunity to ask him anything though."

"Why do you say that?" Gabrielle asked, sliding beside him.

Harry cocked his head to the side as he gazed down into the array of simmering vegetables. "All the magical hospitals are finally catching up on all the ingredients to restock their supplies. Three potions shops have already been bought dry and Bernie reckons we're next"

"Huh," Gabrielle said aloud wonderingly. "I think the garden has already been busy restocking those potions shops." She said as she magicked the remaining ingredients of their meal together to cook.

Harry began setting their small table and replied quietly, "Your father is getting worse."

At Harry's words, Gabrielle looked away and ceased her moving. "Yes, I know." She looked down to her hands and frowned. "I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to carry on like this."

Unable to bring her any real comfort, Harry came up behind her and hugged her tightly. She melted into his frame, seeking his comfort and wishing away the stress the recent attack and her father's illness had caused.

"We'll do whatever we can. I promise." Harry whispered into her ear. She turned around and kissed him gratefully, sliding her hands across his back.

~oOo~

When Harry entered the Apothecary again, it was to find Bernie already finished with all the morning chores and looking a little less grim than usual. Harry's lessons were becoming much less frequent because of the mass amount of reading Bernie had given him, including an old muggle science textbook. Harry had argued over this particular bit of reading, saying it was unnecessary seeing as he was still trying to live in the wizarding world, but Bernie had insisted that value could be drawn from even the most unlikely of sources. So, much of Harry's lesson times were taken up by reading from this incredibly dry textbook, paying particularly close attention to a dog-eared page on the table of elements.

Unfortunately, even with Harry no longer suspecting Bernie of any crime, Harry still felt he was hiding something. He felt it particularly when Bernie announced that he was going to be gone again.

"I only hope to be gone for a day at the most. You should be able to handle yourself." Bernie stated gruffly. "You've been doing a fine job in the shop. Keep up the good work."

Harry felt slightly embarrassed at the compliment but was thankful for it either way. Bernie continued. "All you'll really have to do is fill these orders that just came in that we don't finish today, any new ones that come in tomorrow, and then your regular duties."

Nodding his agreement, Harry set to work for the day with Bernie, barely unable to get in a word with how busy they seemed to be. There was hardly time for lunch and they both stayed an extra hour later than normal. Not only were the orders flooding in to be filled and sent by owl, but there were also customers coming from Merlin knows where to shop and buy potions ingredients as though to stock up in case of another incident. Instances like this had happened before when everyone seemed to run out of potions ingredients at the exact same time, it was just extremely inconvenient to have everything happening at the same time.

The next day proved to be the same, but with Bernie gone, the workload was ten times worse. Harry was constantly running around, trying to fill orders, put away their stock of ingredients, and helping customers. There was no lunch break and barely time to use the restroom, and when the day had finally ended and Harry closed the shop. He was definitely ready to be home.

Completely forgetting to go through another section of that history book, Harry went home and fell onto his couch with a resounding THUNK. It took him a second to realize Gabrielle had done the same thing and lay sprawled out on the other side of the room on their rug.

Harry chuckled at the sight of him and his girlfriend lying down, exhausted and ready for sleep.

Looking up at the sound, Gabrielle lifted her head with a grunt at the sheer effort of moving and groaned when her neck didn't quite twist around far enough to bring Harry into view. Harry hadn't even taken his enchantments off and was sorely tempted to join Gabrielle on the floor. They talked about their day and decided to magically prepare their dinner from where they were sitting, turning it into an entertaining game of exhaustion. They were pleasantly surprised by the way it turned out, to which they promptly ate and went to bed.

When morning arrived, Harry had fully expected to find Bernie at his regular spot since he had said he would only be gone for a day, but the shop was empty. Used to him being gone, Harry shrugged it off and continued his duties as normal and began filling more orders.

In all honesty, all Harry wanted to do was go home, and hold Gabrielle in his arms. He couldn't stop thinking about her and anything he did reminded him of her. He wanted to hear her laugh, and to watch her hair whip behind her back, and to kiss her lips generously which could possibly lead to some other activities. Her very being was intoxicating and Harry missed her, despite seeing her every night. He had to admit, with all the disturbances going on, they hadn't had much time for themselves. If they weren't working, they were either eating, sleeping, getting ready to eat or sleep, or trying to figure out who in the bloody hell was behind the attacks without actually interfering with anything. Harry was always relieved to go back to their flat because she was like a much-needed balm that helped ease his mind and made him feel like a normal human being in his own skin. Nothing could compare to the feelings she evoked out of him and it was exhilarating and terrifying.

All throughout the day, Harry had been thinking non-stop of Gabrielle, filling orders and answering customer's questions as the hours passed. Harry was simultaneously trying to help five different people in the store when the bell charm sounded again, only to be greeted by Bernie.

Harry's brows raised to his forehead as he took in Bernie's appearance. First off, what was left of his hair was wind-blown, and not just from apparation. His face was disheveled as though he hadn't had a proper bath since he left and had been camping outside. But what drew Harry back the most was the smile that stretched across Bernie's face, making him look younger than his years.

"Jake!" Bernie exclaimed as he very nearly bounced up to greet him. "How has the shop been doing?"

"Uhh, Fine—" Harry said, narrowing his eyes. "It's, uh, great to see you—like this." Bernie merely chuckled, very much out of character than what he had been weeks before. Harry couldn't help but stare at him blankly in the middle of the store, unsure about what had happened.

Turning on the spot, Bernie waltzed up to the door. "I do believe that we should close the shop early today." He claimed happily, charming the 'open' sign to 'closed.'

Eyes wide and brows furrowed, Harry walked up carefully to where Bernie was beginning to usher out his customers. "To what do we owe the occasion?"

Bernie merely smiled. "Do we need a reason to enjoy the rest of our day?"

Unmoving, Harry watched as Bernie finished up the last few things and insisted that Harry go home. Bernie even took the order sheets away from him and told him that they could wait until tomorrow.

Defeated and somewhat unsure, Harry reluctantly left the shop and watched as Bernie practically skipped into his office, leaving him wondering what in Merlin's name got Bernie so happy after weeks of misery. A final glance showed Bernie, staring endearingly at the wall that Harry knew contained the photos that occupied most of his questions before the office door closed.

Harry arrived home well before Gabrielle did, still confused as to Bernie's behavior, and he decided to take Bernie up on his offer and make his extra time off worth-while. Harry and Gabrielle always tried to share most of the chores around the flat but Harry decided to take over Gabrielle's for the day since he had the time, and cook supper for her, despite his exhaustion from the week.

He had everything set up and even managed to light a few candles for a more romantic setting by the time Gabrielle glided through the entrance. She stopped in her tracks at the sight and smiled, surprised to see Harry home, and dinner ready no less.

"You're home early." She commented, sliding comfortingly into his embrace as he kissed the top of her head. "To what do I owe the occasion?"

"Well, it seems that whatever our dear Bernie had been doing on his trips had been successful. He was oddly happy and closed the shop and sent me home." Harry bent down to kiss her again, properly this time, and smiled against her lips. "I just thought we haven't had a proper sit down in a while and wanted to surprise you."

Her eyes gleamed with emotion and the beautiful blonde witch strode over while she levitated her robes to be put away. Harry gentlemanly held her chair out for her as she sat, and she couldn't help but try and hide a blush that had crept along her features.

Harry countered the stasis charm he had cast on the food and smiled at Gabrielle as she took the first bite. He poured them some of their favorite wizarding wine, native to France, and they ate while filling the air with comfortable conversation and joking sarcasm. Harry's heart soared every time Gabrielle laughed and was satisfied to realize that she didn't hold back her laughs with him as she did with other people. Harry fully believed that even without her Veela appeal, her loud belly laugh would never cease to fill his heart with happiness, knowing she can be completely liberated when they were together.

When they finished their meal, Harry insisted that he clean up and quickly magicked everything spotless. In a matter of seconds, he had her twirling in his arms as he brought her close. He inhaled her intoxicating scent as his head dipped down into the crook of her neck and he just held her close.

Gabrielle hummed a soft sigh and Harry pulled away slowly, staring into the depths of her ocean blue eyes. Unable to help himself any longer, he bent down and kissed her deeply, sliding his tongue against hers greedily and she pressed herself against his body, eliciting a seductive moan from the depths of his chest.

When they parted, Gabrielle was breathing heavily and grabbed his hand, leading Harry into the bedchamber and extinguishing the remaining candles with a flick of her wand.

~oOo~

Authors note 2: I wasn't sure how the whole potions work at St. Mungo's thing would fare for you guys and didn't want to write this in the beginning so I didn't spoil it, but I wrote it in anyway and here's why. Harry has been keeping his insane power in magic mostly to himself up until this point. I wanted to demonstrate how truly powerful and proficient he has become at potions by hinting that he is still a very powerful wizard, despite us not seeing it much. The power will come in time.

Please review!


	17. Alchemy

Author's Note: Here is another chapter for you all! I know it's super soon since the last chapter was posted but we're really starting to pick up here. Just a warning, this chapter is very information heavy so get your thinking caps on.

Thank you for all the reviews!

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. All of that belongs to J.K. Rowling.

~oOo~

Harry and Gabrielle soon found that they were pleased and somewhat relieved that they had started dueling each other for practice in their spare time. On the one hand, Harry was glad he was still an exceptional dueler despite the year and a half break he had from any type of duel or Auror training: more than exceptional actually. Gabrielle however, though she needed a few tips to refine her movements to truly learn proper fighting, was an incredibly talented duelist as well. So much so, that Harry had been taken aback by the sheer, raw power that exuded her form as she practically danced around his spells. He also found solace in the fact that no one would expect such a ferocious fight from a dainty, part Veela woman who looked nothing less than harmless.

This fact was an immense relief to Harry that Gabrielle could put up a decent fight because there were more outbursts on the streets every day. Not as many killings, but there were numerous attacks that caused injury, and many had reduced themselves to verbal matches in the middle of streets and alleyways. Not that Harry believed Gabrielle to be an incompetent witch by any standard, he was just relieved that if she were truly in trouble, she would have a fighting chance.

Pierre had since gone back to work or worked at home whenever he could to sort out the mess of a society everything was turning into, but on the days he had to stay home due to his illness, he would often watch the couple and give them pointers, often commenting on Harry's distinct Auror-like fighting style.

Apolline found the whole ordeal amusing at first and often watched them duel as well until one of their stray spells almost knocked a few of her precious plants over. With the woman being half Veela, when her anger reeled, it was apparent she was not fully human. Gabrielle actually quivered at the sight as the older woman's features practically transformed before them into the bird-like creature, much in the same way Harry had noticed in Gabrielle, just on a much more apparent scale. It was then, after about a week or so, that the couple decided they needed to find a better, more secure location for their practicing. They hadn't exactly wanted to let everyone know they were dueling each other, but they couldn't just have at it inside their flat either.

They exhausted their options, checking off a list of areas that would be private enough for them to duel without being observed, and decided to let the idea rest for the time being, even considering the possibility of using an Auror training room at the Ministry of France much to Harry's distaste.

Late one afternoon, Harry had just begun to close up the apothecary for the day, getting the 'okay' from Bernie before the older man retreated into his office, still as happy as the day he walked in the door a week ago from his last trip. Harry was alone with his thoughts for a few minutes before the tingling sound of the storefront bell charm, combined with hurried footsteps gave Harry pause enough to look up and witness his girlfriend beaming up at him over the counter.

Startled by her appearance and apparent rush to get here, Harry raised a brow in anticipation, to which Gabrielle responded, "Bernie."

Harry's other brow raised, again confused by what she meant by saying the name of their Potions Master.

Gabrielle merely laughed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Bernie! We completely forgot to consider him in finding a place to duel!" She let out an excited huff of air as she looked up to the ceiling and back down into Harry's eyes again. "How could we completely forget that we have Bernie at our disposal as well?"

Slowly nodding as comprehension dawned on him of what they had missed, a slow smile began to spread across Harry's features. _Of course, Bernie would know someone, he knows everyone and seemingly everything that goes on._ Harry thought.

Nodding more enthusiastically, Harry took Gabrielle's hand and led her to Bernie's office after charming the open sign to closed and locking the door. Harry rapt his knuckles on the door to Bernie's office and opened it slightly, calling out Bernie's name as he did so. When he opened the door, however, there was no one in the room.

"That's odd," Harry stated He felt that odd feeling of knowing that he was missing some vital information sweep over him. "He just went into his office not ten minutes ago."

Gabrielle's eyebrows furrowed as she stepped around the office and scanned the surrounding area in wonder. "Maybe he just slid past you without you noticing." She said, her voice rising in pitch as though she was asking a question.

The couple checked the backroom thoroughly, but every nook and cranny was devoid of anything but potions ingredients and boxes of ready-to-ship merchandise from the shop.

That unmistakable feeling swept over Harry again. He couldn't quite place it, but he compared it to the time when the Order of the Phoenix kept information from him concerning the war. It didn't sit right with him, and he began to ache with curiosity.

Harry turned to Gabrielle and glanced around one last time. "How about you keep looking around back here. I'll go recheck his office."

He bent down to brush his lips swiftly against hers as they parted and waltzed right back into Bernie's office.

Upon his entry, Harry simply stood and looked around. He had already checked the room with Gabrielle not five minutes before, and they had scoured the area carefully. Part of him wanted to search on his own so Gabrielle wouldn't think him crazy for what he was about to do.

He was positive Bernie should be here in his office, and something Pierre mentioned (that he was still fretting about in the back of his mind for other reasons) stuck out. _We all have something to hide, Jake._ Bernie had a secret potions lab right in his office. Who's to say there wasn't anything more?

Feeling slightly awkward, Harry got down on all fours and searched the floors for any clues, tapping into his unpracticed Auror training. Often on Death Eater raids, secret doorways would swing out with the weight of an entire wall, creating scuffs on the varnish of the wooden floors. The floors seemed to be intact except for the area where he knew the potions lab was, so he moved his attention to each corner of the room, checking for any signs of wear or damage.

Again unsuccessful, Harry stood in the middle of the room and scanned the area. His eyes landed on Bernie's dark, wooden desk. Slowly, Harry made his way to stand behind the desk, hoping the different angle of the room would provide him with the answers. He never strayed behind Bernie's desk, since it wasn't actually his office, so he hoped the new vantage point would reveal something vital. At this moment, that didn't stop Harry from snooping, his Gryffindor curiosity taking over.

He listened carefully to make sure Gabrielle hadn't found him in the back before he turned back to the task at hand. The drawers revealed nothing out of the ordinary. Just stray pens and ink bottles, leather-bound notebooks with potions recipes or experiments, Harry's study materials he wasn't allowed to take home, and another small photo he remembered seeing but never paying any attention to.

The picture immediately caught Harry's attention this time, however. It was tucked away neatly in the corner of the topmost drawer, on top of one of the potions journals. There was a small, golden, ornate frame around the picture. However, the design of the frame made it stick out intricately in various odd places, so much so that it would not be able to stand on its own with its irregular shape, and thus, was laid on its back.

The photo, however, was what made Harry pause. Harry immediately recognized Bernie in the picture, as he had the distinctive wrinkles around his eyes, forehead, and cheeks, but he was accompanied with a woman that looked incredibly familiar as well. Bernie was smiling extravagantly as was the woman. There was no date, but it couldn't have been too incredibly recent since the picture was still in black and white.

The couple in the photo was stuck in the magic loop. Photo Bernie would point forward to the camera that was immortalizing this moment, look down to the woman, smile and kiss her deeply before she pulled away and laughed happily. Then in typical wizard picture fashion, it would start up again. _This must be Bernie's wife._ Harry thought, recalling when Bernie briefly mentioned her before the Ball Harry roped him into going to. Although that was over a year ago now…

He lit the end of his wand with a silent _Lumos_ and scanned the picture with more care. Something about the image and the golden frame was calling to him. He held it up higher for a better look when his breath hitched in his chest. _The woman from the paintings—_

Almost frantic, Harry crossed the office to the other side where the pictures lined the walls. He held up the small framed photo to compare to the much larger paintings, only to shake his head in disbelief. _How in the name of Merlin have I not noticed this before?_

Now seeing the couple side by side, it was evident that the man in the paintings hung on the wall was of Bernie. And now, Harry realized, the woman was his wife. _Nothing is making any sense! The dates don't make sense. Merlin's beard…_

Comparing the pictures again, he reached up and touched each painting carefully, feeling the sides of each golden frame with his fingers. When he reached the painting directly across from Bernie's desk, Harry froze. There was a small, barely noticeable switch on the side of the frame.

Unsurprised he had not noticed the latch before, as he only found it because he was actively looking for something out of the ordinary, Harry quickly glanced around him for good measure to make sure he was alone before he pulled the small latch down. A hook seemed to disconnect from the wall, and the large painting swung forward, revealing a low arch with an even smaller spot in the middle that was sunken in and jutted out in odd places.

Harry nearly gasped when the frame swung forward, and he stared at this new discovery with burning curiosity that was slowly eating away at him. He felt along the edges of the arch, found nothing, and moved his skimming fingers to the sunken in area of the arch. The excitement coursing through Harry's veins labored his breathing and caused his hands to nearly drop the small picture in his hand…

Grasping the small photograph of Bernie and his wife firmly, he held it up to the sunken in area of the arch. The way the frame jutted out in just the right spot… _A perfect fit—_

Breathing heavily, Harry pressed the small photo into the perfectly carved center with ease like a muggle jigsaw puzzle piece until he heard a faint _click._

In one fluid motion, the entire back panel slid down.

 _What the—_

There in front of him, emitting a faint glow, was a red stone.

Though the stone looked innocent enough, Harry knew deep down that there was something hauntingly familiar about it. _My God, it must be an exact replica!_ Harry thought, remembering back to his first year at Hogwarts when he held the Philosophers Stone in his hand. Harry reached out to touch it and gently caressed the glass dome it was encased in when his breath hitched in his throat as confusion, surprise, and a hint of concern washed over his body. _Unless—_

"And what exactly do you think you're doing?"

The voice was dangerously close to Harry, who had solely been concentrating on the stone in front of him to notice that anyone was behind him. A frightened yell escaped from the depths of Harry's chest as he withdrew his wand and pointed it straight at Bernie.

The sound must have alerted Gabrielle because seconds later, she rushed in to see Bernie standing over Harry, who's wand was drawn on him, and a small red stone sitting under a glass dome within the wall. Gabrielle's breaths came in quick and panicked at the scene and said, "What happened?"

Bernie's eyes were narrowed as he took a step back from Harry, who still had not lowered his wand, ready to strike and glaring at Bernie suspiciously.

Then suddenly, Bernie smirked mischievously. "It's about time you fucking found it."

Gabrielle's eyes moved swiftly between the two unmoving men. Harry was still breathing heavily when he whispered, "Who are you?"

Bernie's eyes narrowed knowingly, stepping back with his hands up in surrender to Harry's unwavering wand. "I would hope you would have figured that out by now."

Without lowering his wand, Harry motioned to the stone sitting in its glass dome with a jerk of his head. "How the hell did you get that?"

"It's mine," Bernie said matter-of-factly, keeping his hands up for good measure. "I made it."

Harry scoffed and glanced to Gabrielle, making a face of complete disbelief as though Gabrielle knew what was going on in Harry's head. "Yeah? Well, it was destroyed in my first year so stop playing games with me."

"Harry, what's going on?" Gabrielle asked from the doorway.

Harry held up a hand to still her. "Don't move Gabrielle," Harry said without removing his gaze from the older man in front of him. "I need to get a few things straight first."

"Then listen to me, boy." Bernie piped up.

"Yeah, you better start explaining," Harry stated angrily, almost a hint of sarcasm dripping dangerously from his tone.

"Harry, please," Gabrielle said, stepping forward against his wishes. "Why are you so upset? She glanced behind him at the stone and back to Harry, who again, held up his hand for her step away from Bernie.

Jerking his head back again toward the stone and glancing carefully at her, Harry began to explain. "That stone behind me is the Philosopher's Stone." He let that information sink in for a fraction of a second before he continued. "It was destroyed after I saved it from falling into Voldemort's hands in my first year."

Gabrielle's eyes widened and her brows furrowed in confusion as she watched the scene unfold before her.

Nodding in agreement, Bernie leaned in toward Harry. "That's what Albus and I agreed on, yes, but it was never destroyed."

"What are you saying?" Harry retorted.

"What I'm saying, is that we only _told_ people the stone was destroyed. Made a big show of it too. Even had myself a nice little funeral." Bernie explained slowly, choosing his words carefully. "I've kept it hidden and under the radar since then."

A small gasp cut through the air, and the men turned to look at Gabrielle. "Does that mean-?

Smiling proudly, Bernie turned to Harry and motioned back to her with his hand. "See? She's figured it out." An amused twinkled shone in Bernie's eye. "Well done, my dear girl."

Chancing an uncertain glance at his girlfriend, Harry noticed that she was standing, slack-jawed in complete wonder, astonishment, and disbelief. Lowering his wand only a fraction and Harry's breathing becoming shallow and rapid, Bernie gestured to the portraits lining the wall, the stone, and all the other peculiarities of his office that Harry was bound to have noticed at some point. "You honestly haven't figured it out yet? Merlin, you can be entirely unobservant sometimes, Harry."

Harry shook his head to clear it of his jumbled thoughts. Of course only one explanation made sense, but it also contradicted everything he knew. "I have an idea…" Harry said. "It doesn't make any sense, though."

"Tell me your thoughts, and I will clarify any questions you may have. Both of you." Bernie directed his last comment to Gabrielle, who relaxed slightly. "Come on, Harry, have I ever given you a reason to mistrust me?"

Harry scoffed. "Actually, a few times recently." He retorted, frustrated and raising his wand again.

"Then I promise to make it up to you tenfold," Bernie replied seriously.

There was a short pause, the air thick with tension before Harry finally lowered his wand to his side. "Nicholas Flamel?"

A bright, beaming smile spread across the older man's face as he confirmed Harry's statement with a firm nod. Gabrielle's features were alight with excitement, staring directly at Bernie as her thoughts were finally confirmed for her, based on his reaction alone. "It seems we both had something to hide when we first met."

Breathing deeply and holding his breath for a moment, Harry let out a sigh of long-suffering before raising his eyebrows to indicate he was waiting for some sort of explanation. He was still gripping his wand, ready to attack or retaliate if necessary. Still incredibly mistrustful as he had believed for the majority of his life for Nicholas Flamel to be dead, the thought had never occurred to him that the man could still be alive. Unless this was an imposter…

Bernie took the hint and took a deep breath before beginning his explanation. "After we caught wind of plans for Voldemort to obtain the Philosophers Stone all those years ago, Albus and I decided we needed to be rid of such a powerful artifact. Eternal life falling into the wrong hands could be catastrophic and dangerous, as you well know. We had schemed up this plan since we first caught wind of the situation and created an exact replica of my stone to lure him into searching for it somewhere close by. At the time, Voldemort was in some remote part of the world; Albania, I believe. Everything was going according to plan until you decided to rub your eleven-year-old nose in our business.

When Albus realized what was going on with your and your friends incessant snooping, we modified the plans a bit. I was still in possession of the real stone, so we had no real qualms if the project failed. Our main concern was to find a way to prove that Voldemort was indeed still alive, so the enchantments and protections we put in place would have made it easy enough for whoever was helping Voldemort to break them, and subsequently catch.

After your little escapade with Voldemort, which was not planned, by the way, we publicly announced that the Philosopher's Stone was to be destroyed, effectively leaving me to die. Now, as you know, I had the real stone all along, fabricated my death to the world, and lived as Bernie since then. I helped in the war when I could and lived a quiet life since."

Slowly, the puzzle pieces began to fall into place for Harry. Unfortunately, his Auror training and experience from the war still left him feeling eerie about the entire situation. It sounded way too convenient. "Prove it," Harry said. "Prove to me you're who you say you are."

Sighing exasperatedly, Nick glanced around the room, trying to recall something of importance that Harry would know to prove his identity. A sudden thought struck Nick before he said, "Cast _Legilimens_ on me. I'll show you."

Scrunching up his face in displeasure, Harry replied, "I've never been a good Occlumens or Legilimens so you can forget it."

"All you have to do is cast the spell, and I will show you what you need to know," Nick said, extending an upturned palm as an offering of peace.

Contemplating for a moment, Harry turned to Gabrielle, who had somewhat relaxed but still held the tension of the situation in her shoulders and her eyes. Making up his mind, Harry raised his wand again and waited for the signal from the older man in front of him.

" _Legilimens_."

The effect was immediate. Harry felt as though his mind was rushing forward and being drawn in as though he was stuck inside a riptide at sea. He fully realized he was inside the man's head when Harry suddenly felt like he couldn't make up his own mind or thoughts. Instead, he saw glimpses of Nicks memories being pushed forward frantically, as though he couldn't settle on one distinct thought.

He saw a young man in ancient wizarding robes, walking the corridors of some unknown place that looked to be a school. Next, a memory of Nick meeting and marrying the woman from the photos soon after. Random bouts of studying in what Harry assumed to be alchemy and potions when he was forced into a vision of Albus Dumbledore. The men were first conversing in what appeared to be a hefty tome, then in person and speaking rapidly with the stone in hand, creating a replica, setting the traps, watching Nicks funeral, opening the apothecary, watching a young man walk in through his apothecary door with brown eyes and wavy brown hair, endless potions lessons, and finally—

Harry was forced out of Nick's mind that left both men panting. Harry rubbed the very center of his forehead with the palm of his hand, unexpectedly exhausted. Even after everything he saw, he still had his suspicions. Panting loudly, Harry ground out, "How do I know you didn't fabricate all of that? It wasn't like those were unalterable memories in a Pensieve."

Nick growled in frustration before he quickly withdrew and gestured to the stone sitting in its glass dome. "That should be proof enough, boy. How else would you explain that? I also knew immediately the first time I met you that you weren't who you said you were because you had the fucking Elder Wand with you. I had seen that wand every day for decades, working with Albus." He then moved his hand slightly to gesture to something sitting beside the stone. "Look at that as well if you must."

Turning slightly, Harry noticed a large volume sitting next to the stone. He recognized as being the book that Nick had shown him, speaking to Albus in one of his memories. The front cover had a phoenix symbol spread across the front in gold and was padlocked shut. Nick unlocked the book with a flick of his wand and invited Harry to look within.

Harry picked up the book and opened it, motioning for Gabrielle to come forward to look with him. The page immediately fell to an empty picture. The sight reminded Harry of a chocolate frog card when the person would disappear and reappear. The name at the bottom was written in a familiar script he hadn't seen in years. _Albus Dumbledore_ was written in Albus' swirling scrawl with an even small word, _Hogwarts_ was written below the name. The entire page was dim.

He turned to the next leaf, only to be greeted with a much more brightly colored page with the name _Eulalie Hicks: Ilvermorny,_ written in slanted writing. No one occupied the center.

A few more of the pages showed empty centers, but the supposed occupants were from all over the world, including almost every wizarding school known to them, as well as some other notable researchers, Alchemists, Healers, Duelists, Ministers, and Potioneers.

Gabrielle was the first to speak, asking Nick if he could show her his memories as well. She cast _Legilimens_ on him and was affected much in the same way Harry was. She gasped for breath slightly and said, "So it's really you? You're really Nicholas Flamel?" Her eyes were wide and expectant.

"That's right, my dear girl," Nick said with a nod of his head.

Gabrielle spoke again. "If so, and you're still here and alive, then where is your wife? Perenelle?" She glanced behind her and gestured to the pictures hanging on the wall.

Pain suddenly swept across Nick's eyes like Dementors fog. He turned away as though to hide himself from the grief when he murmured softly, "She's gone."

The trio stood in the office, the silence deafening on their eardrums and goosebumps covering Harry's arms at the implications of what Bernie—Nick— said or what had happened, as Harry slid the tome back into its proper spot beside the stone. Nick looked longingly at the portraits on the wall and cleared his throat uncomfortably. He seemed to regain his composure and said gruffly, "Since you two are in on the secret now, I can show you more of what I do."

"How many people know about you still being alive?" Gabrielle inquired curiously as Harry nodded his head in agreement to Gabrielle's question.

"So far, you two," Nick said. "I decided not to tell you and wait to see how long it took Harry here to figure it out. I actually thought you had it a few times what with free reign to my office I thought you would've found out more by now, but it seems Gabrielle needed to push you in the right direction. She is definitely your better half in more than one regard."

The couple looked at each other with raised eyebrows at Nicks comment. A small, shy smile graced her features as Harry's eyes softened slightly, despite the situation.

Turning to fully face the older man in front of him, Harry said, "What do you have to show us?"

Smirking conspiratorially, Nick walked over to his desk and reached underneath for something. Harry rounded the office and saw Nick push a button with a satisfied smile. The floor behind his desk lifted up as though it were on hinges, revealing a staircase that seemed to run beneath the shop.

Nick stepped aside and let them peer down into the depths of this unknown cellar. The steps were clean, and there was a faint glow of light casting shadows on the railing.

Stepping down into this new secret room after closing the portrait that held the Stone, Nick descended the stairs with Harry and Gabrielle close behind him. Harry's wand was still drawn just in case, and he gripped it tighter as the floor of the office came down with a resounding, THUD, effectively closing them in.

When they reached their destination, the place was a wondrous sight to behold. There were multiple rooms for various purposes: one room contained all things shiny with gold, other areas and rooms contained specific types of metal, while sections were devoted to different elements. Bookshelves lined one wall with what appeared to be all the research material you could ever want, as well as modified potions stations interspersed throughout, complete with desks accompanying each station.

The sight was impressive, and Harry and Gabrielle drunk in the view before them as Nick explained the room. "This is my Alchemy station. All things Alchemy that you could ever want or need are stored here." He walked over to one of the stations that looked vaguely like a combination of a potions lab table and a muggle chemistry station. He patted the top of the desk and directed his attention toward Harry. "I've been secretly teaching you Alchemy without you realizing, during your lessons. I wanted to see how well you'd pick up the material, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. You have a knack for it, even if you don't fully realize what you've been doing." Turning to Gabrielle, Nick continued. "I haven't tried with you yet because you only now just completed your masters in potions. Didn't want to distract from that goal and add anything you weren't ready for. However, your flawless execution of Golpalott's Law says otherwise."

"Hang on," Harry interrupted and eyeing Nick. "You just said Gabrielle has already earned her Masters in Potions?"

Nicks face lit up and promptly turned on his heel toward the desk nearest him. "That reminds me!" He bent over and lifted up an old coffee mug that had been sitting on two pieces of official-looking paper. He took a quick look at them and then handed one each to Harry and Gabrielle. It was their Master's certificates for Potions. "Congratulations you two. You've earned it."

Staring incredulously back at Nick, Harry's voice boomed in disbelief and frustration. "You're telling me I've had my Potions Mastery completed this whole time?" The date on the paper read to have been completed almost five months back.

"Yes, I may have forgotten to give them to you. But no matter!" Nick explained. "What I was more interested in was your progress with the materials I did give you after the fact. And I do have to say, you impressed me more than once."

Frustrated beyond belief, Harry glanced around the room again, shaking his head when Gabrielle suddenly spoke up, pointing to a small vial on the station before them. "That's my papa's potion you've been making for him." She commented.

Indeed, there sat the small potion in its crystal vial. The liquid, now gold with silver stars dancing around in its depths, shone dully on the black tabletop.

"That is correct," Nick said approvingly. He picked up the vial and examined its contents. "This was the last one that worked, but seeing as it's not affecting him anymore, I must continue experimenting with making a new one. Though I must say, I'm running out of ideas."

Gabrielle blanched at the potion. "So, you're saying you've been using Alchemy to help my father?"

Harry's brows rose at the sudden realization and fixed his eyes squarely on Nick.

"Yes, dear. That's exactly what I've been doing." Nick replied.

A swift and robust determination swept over Gabrielle's features. "I want to know how."

Harry looked at Gabrielle and then nodded furiously, as though she had taken the words from his mouth. "Me too."

The corners of Bernie's— Nick's— mouth turned up in his tell-tale mischievous smirk. "You mean I don't even have to convince you two to learn Alchemy?"

Shaking her head vigorously, Gabrielle stood her ground. "If this is what's helping papa, then I want to learn."

Harry gently took Gabrielle's hand in his and squeezed gently. Maybe with more minds that knew the inner workings of Alchemy and of Pierre's condition, it would be easier to cure him. He hated seeing Gabrielle so upset about her father's illness and didn't want her to have to live without him knowing that something more could have been done. He knew that feeling all too well.

Still smirking, Nick eyed them both thoughtfully. "You both do understand that Alchemy is one of the most difficult forms of magic there is? That it takes a full understanding of elements, transfiguration, potions, and enlightenment?" Nick raised his brows expectantly as the information sunk in.

 _Elements? So, that's why he gave me that muggle science book. Crazy old bat._ Harry nodded in understanding, as did Gabrielle.

Nick continued, "That it could possibly be one of the most dangerous things you ever do in your miserable lives?"

Again, the couple affirmed their decisions.

"That either one of you could die if an experiment goes horribly wrong?"

Nodding more furiously than ever, Harry stepped forward and stated forcefully, "We want to learn Alchemy." Gabrielle firmly asserted her want to learn with Harry, equally determined.

"Very well," Nick said approvingly. "I was actually going to start one of the new experiments for your father. We can start with a basic lesson tonight for you to fully understand what Alchemy is about, and then branch out further later on."

Immediately, Gabrielle's face lit up entirely, and she stepped forward, only to be greeted by an angry finger pointing at the pair.

"No one will know of this, understand? This secret stays among us and only us. People cannot know that I am alive. If you tell anyone: family, friends, the like; I will be forced to obliviate you and whomever you told. Do I make myself clear?"

Gabrielle agreed immediately while Harry muttered a sarcastic "fucking hypocrite" under his breath after he also agreed to the secrecy.

"So, what are we supposed to call you now?" Harry asked, curiously.

Nick scratched his head. "Honestly, no one's called me Nick in a while. Just keep it private and call me Bernie in public. Shouldn't be too hard as you two already have practice, _Jake._ "

"Ha ha." Harry drug out, lacing each syllable with as much sarcasm as he could muster. He turned his attention to Gabrielle. "I still find this disconcertingly odd. How are you not freaking out over this?"

Gabrielle simply shrugged her shoulders in reply. "I guess I'm used to finding out people aren't who they're supposed to be." She pushed into his shoulder playfully and winked as they watched Nick retreat to grab some books from one of the bookshelves. She lowered her voice a bit. "Though I do have to say I'm a bit shocked, to say the least. I never would have guessed THE Nicholas Flamel."

Harry let out a breathy laugh in disbelief. "Yeah, me neither."

The couple spoke of how odd it was to finally meet Nicholas Flamel when the man himself had finally set up his station and beckoned them forward.

They conjured themselves three chairs, and Nick took an exhausted seat while Harry and Gabrielle sat across from him, ready to learn with burning curiosity at what Nick's next words would be.

"Alchemy, as you know, is one of the most complicated and deadly forms of magic. There are many aspects of alchemy that you must know in order to fully grasp it. Those concepts are the four elements and how they work together in our world, potions, transfiguration, a bit of soul magic, and muggle chemistry. With these concepts working together, the end result is alchemy.

Now the overarching goal of alchemy is to reach complete enlightenment, taking on a spiritual journey from ignorance; hence, the soul magic. Another goal is to create the Philosopher's Stone, in the hopes of creating the elixir of life, to make the drinker immortal, or an elixir called Panacea, which cures all disease. Both elixir's goals are to prolong the life of the drinker and make him immune to death and disease, which is seen as the enlightenment of the body and soul.

Now, I got a sense that you both would be talented in Alchemy when the pair of you fully began to understand Golpalott's Law. That law is nearly alchemical that one wouldn't notice unless you sufficiently studied alchemy. The idea that you take two mixed poisons and create an entirely new antidote for the blended concoction by changing the properties, not just two separate antidotes, adding an ingredient here or there, or transfiguring the properties of the antidote itself are the first steps to fully understanding the alchemical process."

Harry and Gabrielle wrote furiously in a couple of notebooks Gabrielle had conjured up for them as soon as Nick started his lecture. Nick gestured to Gabrielle as he could see a question forming on the edge of her lips. "Since you have already created the Philosopher's Stone, and by extension, the elixir of life, does that mean you have also created the elixir Panacea?"

Pursing his lips and turning to Pierre's potion, he picked up the vial and held it up in front of him. Gabrielle's eyes widened when she realized the implications. Nick studied the contents for a moment before answering. "That is something I am still working on actually." He shook the contents carefully. "Unfortunately, your father's illness has just given me an excuse to delve deeper into my research in the hopes of saving him. So far, I have been…unsuccessful at finding the true elixir of Panacea."

Scrunching her brows together in thought, Harry now had his own burning question. "I remember hearing that you needed Pierre's blood to create this potion to save him and his magical core. Why is that if the Elixir of Panacea is meant to cure all disease?"

Nodding in understanding to his question, Nick answered, "Because we were running out of time. I needed to do something before he died. This is where the transfiguration and muggle chemistry comes in. I researched the properties of his blood that were making him sick, combined them with the enlightened version to counteract the effect, brewed it within a potion, and transfigured the entire thing to remain stable. Look." He held up the vial with the dancing silver stars that bounced off the crystal like fireworks. The gold liquid swirled around with each new star. "The silver you see is the transfigured blood. With the use of the stone, I was able to purify it to a purer state without it becoming lethal and allow it to replace the remnants of the disease within his blood. The potion itself is a purer version of a pepperup potion that will enhance the properties and spread throughout his entire body, effectively restoring his magical core and giving his strength back."

The couple furiously scribbled down all the notes they could as Nick explained his process, a look of fierce determination stealing over Gabrielle's features as she began to understand what it took to save her father. "How come the elixirs stop working after a while?" Gabrielle inquired.

"That is what is perplexing me." Nick almost growled out, standing up and pacing the space in front of his seat. "I thought I fucking figured it out a few times, but then we're right back to where we started. I've been attempting to make two separate potions: one for Pierre and then Panacea itself, but I almost can't keep up. His blood is giving no more signs of illness anymore, yet he's the weakest he's ever been. I had thought that since it was solely his magical core being attacked by this disease, that a mending or transference with someone else's core would do the trick, but it is entirely too dangerous. The transferring of one's magical core is the equivalent of transferring your soul. If done wrong, you both could die. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take." He turned on the spot and faced the couple. "Write this down: in Alchemy, you cannot transform or take anything less or greater than what you plan to make. If I want to create a pure gold cauldron like the one above my station upstairs, you best believe I'm going to need a shit ton more iron than I'm going to get out in gold."

"Then how did you get all those gold things? Your keys and books and all that?" Harry piped up, remembering the ornate golden frames lining the pictures on the walls.

Nick nodded once in understanding of Harry's question. "Those were all with the help of the stone. It can change any metal into pure gold. Most alchemists, however, do not have a Philosopher's Stone, and therefore, must rely on the basis of the transformation into gold. They are, in this case, limited. Only the stone has the power to change anything into pure gold."

"So, you've been using the stone's properties to transfigure my father's blood into a pure form to spread and replicate throughout his body?" Gabrielle asked, trying to fully understand.

"That is correct, my dear. I'm afraid I wouldn't have gotten nearly as close to saving him if I didn't have the stone's help."

At this comment, Harry piped up, "What has been wrong with him, then?"

Nick sighed exasperatedly and shook his head solemnly. "That I do not know. I first thought it was a magical disease that could be stopped or slowed with a simple Pepperup Potion. When that failed miserably, every other antidote I created failed just as spectacularly. I finally decided to put the research for Panacea on hold again and create something specifically for him. His blood reveals only faint traces of abnormalities, but nothing that hinted to anything of disease and no hints of poison. When the alchemical elixir worked, that's what I have done since then. I have had to modify the elixir every time he takes a turn for the worst or seems to grow immune to the concoction. It has been one of the most difficult cases I have ever encountered."

"Is alchemy primarily for healing?" Gabrielle asked.

"You could say that," Nick replied. "It definitely has strong roots in the medical field, especially in the wizarding world."

The trio spent the next hour discussing many of the more delicate intricacies of alchemy, asking and answering any question they could think of. They studied well into the night until Harry felt he could have dozed off into a deep sleep.

They decided to conclude their learning for one night, Nick promising that they would now replace their potions studying with Alchemy. Harry agreed to lend Gabrielle his muggle science textbook and any other reading materials he was given.

The couple also agreed that if they were to study alchemy, all their notes and materials had to stay within the confines of Nick's office at the apothecary or in the secret rooms below; which meant no extra studying at home. Harry was somewhat relieved, glad that he could have a definite line between work and studying and his home, though the idea seemed to leave Gabrielle disappointed, much to Harry's amusement.

As they were stepping out of the door, Gabrielle quickly spun around. "We completely forgot to ask!" She turned completely to face Nick and stopped Harry in his tracks with one foot out the door. "We were actually looking for you before because we were wondering if you knew of any places that we could practice our dueling?"

Nick nearly snorted. "I'm pretty sure I can come up with something."

Smiling brightly, Gabrielle turned on the spot and fell in step beside Harry as the apparated to their flat.

They had a light supper that required little cleanup, upon the realization that they were famished, but didn't want to overeat, too late into the night.

Harry's head was reeling, all thoughts of the random attacks and the reason for their dueling set aside. He couldn't believe what he had witnessed and learned today. Of all things that he expected of his Potions Master, he did not expect him to be the infamous Nicholas Flamel. He had so many burning questions that he was unable to answer tonight, yet with the explanation of one oddity or concept only created a dozen more questions. He wanted to know everything there was about alchemy as he found it entirely fascinating the more he explained it, he wanted to know about Nick's life, he wanted to know more about the Philosopher's Stone and its creation, and most of all, he wanted to help cure Gabrielle's father.

Gabrielle stared at him incredulously, as though she too were experiencing a whirlwind of thoughts that tormented her mind. She leaned over a bit and said, "There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep or concentrate on anything tonight after this."

"Same," Harry added, shaking his head. They took their respective places on the sofa, Gabrielle nearly bouncing in excitement. He loved it when she did that. "Were you surprised at all?"

Gabrielle snickered, her blonde hair falling behind her shoulders. "Of course, I was surprised! I've known Bernie my whole life. Or Nick. Or— Uhhg. I don't even know what to call him anymore." She shook her head and continued. "At least all those odd things about him that he was so secretive about make sense now."

"Yeah, that's true." Harry began. He took her hand in his and squeezed gently. "I do have to say, I'm kind of excited to be learning Alchemy with you. The whole process sounds fascinating. I don't think I've ever had a subject pique my interest quite like that before."

There was a beat of thought-filled silence. "I wonder what happened to Perenelle?"

Nodding in agreement to her wonder, Harry followed up with another question. "I wonder if Bern—Nick has been disappearing for research or if he was actually involved in these attacks."

"I highly doubt that." Gabrielle countered firmly. "There are still attacks going on, just not as severe, and he's obviously been with us the whole time. There's no way they can be related."

Letting go of a heavy sigh, Harry leaned his head back against the sofa and closed his eyes. "I'm just really concerned about all these seemingly random attacks."

"You're right on that." Gabrielle agreed. "There's no way they can be random. It's just not logical."

"I'll be much happier when we can duel properly," Harry said tiredly. When he opened his eyes, Gabrielle was staring at him with a small smile, still holding onto his hand. Harry pushed himself forward a bit in order to face her more fully, preparing for a kiss. Instead, Gabrielle leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together in an intimate show of affection. With their eyes closed, they focused solely on each other's breathing and the intimate space they shared, becoming vulnerable to each other once again.

Harry loved these moments with her, even though it wasn't exactly deemed masculine to do so, he still found that the innate human desire to be close to someone made his heart feel full and the butterflies in his stomach roar when they could be together like this. She was perfect beyond belief, and now he could see her intelligence in action every day with their new lessons in the art of Alchemy with Nicholas Flamel. He still couldn't believe his luck with how he had landed such an intelligent and caring woman.

Though the word _love_ still held heavy implications for him, he knew in his heart to be true. He loved this woman. And he could only hope she felt the same.

~oOo~

Authors' Note 2: So how many of you called it? There was one person who DM'd us with a correct guess back in chapter 7 so congrats boban094 for figuring it out before anyone else! Hopefully the build up was realistic as I have tried to keep all dialogue, relationships, and conflict as realistic to life as possible. Thank you so much for reading! Please review!


	18. Admitted

Author's Note: Welcome back everyone! Here is another lovely chapter for you all! We are really starting to pick up the plot here and I sincerely hope you are enjoying the story.

Just a warning for the next few chapters, I am starting work again on the 8th and I will be incredibly busy at that point teaching at University. I will probably only be able to write and post a new chapter ever month as soon as the semester starts. If I have extra time, I will definitely try and post some more during those times.

As always, we appreciate your DM's, comments, and reviews. Have a wonderful week!

~oOo~

As the weeks passed by, Harry and Gabrielle were fully beginning to embrace their Alchemy lessons with Nick. With the combined knowledge of their potions masteries under their belt, and despite the ensuing difficulty of the subject itself, the couple found Alchemy to be utterly fascinating. This fact alone surprised Harry since the only class he really took a keen interest in at Hogwarts was Defense Against the Dark Arts. However, he had to admit that with the new use of knowledge in potions, now in combination with transfiguration, the fascination for how the subjects were connected only continued to increase his drive to learn. He never really thought of transfiguration as anything but a branch of magic that could make things easier for you in your day to day life, and never that it could be combined with something as touchy as potions to create Alchemy.

Harry and Gabrielle watched diligently as Nick worked on Pierre's potion, taking notes where they could and asking questions for further clarification. They hadn't been brewing their own alchemical elixirs yet, as they needed a full understanding of the basics before they could even attempt, even after weeks of observing. The language of alchemy was complicated with its different symbols and required an innate sense of self that Nick said was the enlightenment part of it all: something they had to find for themselves. Not to mention they now had a whole other area to study in the form of muggle science and chemistry. They spent their days memorizing and researching the broken-down components of different elements including all types of metals, water and various other liquids, gases in the air, and even fire. But what they lacked in hands-on practice of alchemy they made up in dueling.

With the help of Nick, Harry and Gabrielle were able to find a secure location to practice their dueling to prepare for any kind of attack. Nick it seemed was full of secrets.

When Harry inquired about a location to duel regularly, Nick simply led him down into his alchemy dungeon and showed him to a room that Harry thought resembled the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts when they had their meetings for Dumbledore's Army. They had every resource they could possibly need including dummies for target practice that were charmed to also attack; various items such as statues, rocks, water, pillars, and anything else that could be used in a practical battle; and padded walls in case the dueling got a little out of hand.

This was where Harry and Gabrielle found themselves at the end of a long, grueling week of Alchemy lessons and work. Sweat was dripping off Harry's brow as he quickly maneuvered around a spell that Gabrielle had shot his way. Tapping into everything he learned about dueling, he was quickly able to decipher if it would benefit him more to dodge or shield a spell.

A silently cast _Rictasempra_ was headed toward Harry, which he easily dodged and quickly threw an equally silent _Protego_. The force of the spell launched Gabrielle across the room, but she steadied herself in a second while simultaneously launching a _Levicorpus_.

The jinx had barely brushed Harry's elbow as he dodged, but it was enough. He was immediately hoisted up into the air by the spot that the spell had hit, and he frantically sent out spell after spell after Gabrielle so she wouldn't have an open window to attack.

Finally, he managed to break her stance and hit her with a _Melofors_ , effectively encasing her head in a pumpkin. It didn't give him much time, but a second was all he needed. He quickly performed the counter jinx on himself as did Gabrielle, and they faced each other once more. This time, Gabrielle ducked behind one of the pillars, only to send out a flock of angry, transfigured budgies.

The birds began pecking insistently at Harry, but he ignored them, running around another pillar that was closer to Gabrielle, blowing up the creatures one by one as he went. Gabrielle was waiting for the distraction of the birds to take Harry's mind away from her, and she began climbing the pillar.

Once he found his way behind the second column, Harry began casting _Pullus_ at the random debris strewn across the ground until he had an entire little army of geese and ducks at his command in retaliation to the birds she had sent him earlier. _Geese are way worse than little tweety birds._ Harry thought. They honked and screeched from their hiding spot, and Harry was surprised when one of them had taken ahold of Gabrielle's ankle, halfway up her pillar.

Pausing slightly to laugh at the sight, she turned over to glare furiously at him. There was a fire in her eyes that promptly took hold, and she dispelled the flock of birds in one fluid motion of her wand as she continued to climb.

Harry smirked and cast a _Tarentallegra_ , which made Gabrielle lose her grip from her now dancing feet, and slid down the pillar in one fluid motion despite her holding on with her arms. Instead of running, she embraced the dancing and began dodging Harry's spells again with fluid-like precision. It was as though the dancing made the dodging easier for her.

Frustrated that he still hadn't bested her, Harry sent a Bat Bogey Hex her way, which she effectively blocked, but was unable to avoid his simple _Flipendo_. She was knocked on her arse, legs still moving in their dance when Harry turned and ran, deciding to copy her and take the higher ground up on the pillar. When she noticed what he was doing, her legs still moving sporadically, she muttered the counter jinx, stood up to run, and shouted a strained _Depulso_ as she ran ahead of the pillar. The force of her spell shattered the pillar and the force threw Harry into the air. Unable to control where he was going, he landed directly on top of her in a straddle.

Both wands pointing at the other and breathing heavily while sprawled out on the ground had them both start laughing at their predicament and highly embarrassing positions. Harry was sure he did a flip somewhere in there, but he wasn't sure as it had happened so fast. As he tried to stand, Gabrielle suddenly had her leg around him and she straddled him so he couldn't get up, her bum facing him.

His wand had gone flying in the process, but he quickly summoned it back into his hand, as well as Gabrielle's, and wordlessly cast a leg locking jinx so she couldn't move.

She squeaked in surprise at her sudden inability to shift, and Harry stretched back, putting his hands behind his head in a mock impression of someone relaxing and sighed dramatically.

"Aaahhhhh yes, what a view," Harry said, admiring her backside appreciatively as she tried to squirm free of the jinx.

Gabrielle turned to try and face him, though Harry could only see the one side of her face, looking flustered. "Harry James Potter, you unbind me right now." She commanded, unable to perform the counter jinx without her wand.

"Or what, my dear?" Harry mocked. "I could admire this all day." He squeezed her bum appreciatively with one hand and reached forward with another to stroke gently between her legs.

Her head fell back, and her wavy, blonde hair slid past her shoulders as she whimpered out a delicate moan, despite her panting from their duel, at his fingers suddenly gliding between her legs.

In the act of mercy, he undid the jinx holding her to him, and he found her sliding appreciatively on his cock as soon as she could move. Smirking and heavy lidded, Harry tapped her on the leg and peered around her to see her face. When she looked down, her eyes were partly glassed over from the sensations. Realizing that she was free of the bind, she straddled him from the front and pressed her lips to Harry's almost desperately.

Grabbing onto the back of her head, he pressed her down to deepen the kiss and forced himself up into a sitting position with Gabrielle on top of him. Harry had to admit to himself that seeing her sweaty and panting from their duel, only made him want to make her panting and sweaty from some other enjoyable activities back at their flat.

For the moment, Harry's hands roamed her body appreciatively, feeling the gentle curve of her waist down to her hips. He wrapped his hands around her backside and brought her forward on himself a little more as her own hands tangled within his hair.

Their tongues slid against each other in a tantalizing dance, and Harry's hand froze at the feel of the underside of her breast when he heard a cough.

They stopped immediately and saw Nick standing at the door of the dueling arena, leering.

Gabrielle quickly stood up, brushing down her shirt as she helped Harry clumsily get off the floor. She was blushing profusely, and Harry pressed his lips into a thin line to hide the fact that he was trying not to smile or laugh. They always seemed to find themselves in these situations, Merlin forbid, if they ever did anything outside of their flat.

Nick shook his head, arms crossed, and muttered, "You two disgust me." Narrowing his eyes, he said, "I wondered why it suddenly got quiet over here, and now I know. You can't keep your hands to yourself. Or your faces."

Without a word from either of them, Nick turned back around and headed to the desk with the alchemy station. As soon as his back was turned, Harry and Gabrielle glanced at each other and chuckled at the fact that they had been caught, Gabrielle covering her face with her hand in embarrassment.

As they walked over, Gabrielle held out her hand in an act of showmanship for their duel. Harry grasped her hand and shook, to which she replied, "I still say I won."

"Not by a long shot, my dear," Nick said before Harry could utter a word. The couple stared at him curiously as Nick began speaking again. "He's got the Elder Wand. There's no way you'd be able to beat that. It's undefeatable."

At this, Gabrielle threw her arms into the air dramatically. "Oh, no! Whatever shall we do, Harry?"

Knowing exactly why she was taunting Nick, Harry played along, equally sarcastic. "Why, I don't know Gabrielle! Is there no possible solution to this dilemma?"

Nick scrunched his eyebrows together and turned to face the couple giving him equal looks of sarcastic horror. When they saw his expression however, the couple burst into peals of laughter as Nick narrowed his eyes at them.

Leaning on Harry, Gabrielle's shoulders were still shaking with her mirth when Harry explained, "We've been trading off. She had the Elder Wand this time around. Next time we duel, I'll have it. That way, we get equal practice and must work much harder when we don't have it."

"Hmm," Nick commented. "Not bad." With that, he turned around to face his station again.

Gabrielle turned to give Harry a quick glance, her look pregnant with hidden laughter and a silent conversation through her eyes alone.

There was still a slight sheen of sweat on her brow, and Harry figured he didn't look much different from what he was seeing on her. He still felt that tightness in his trousers from earlier, and he hoped that would go away soon. Or he would at least get to take care of it later in a much more enjoyable way.

Harry moved to the side and looked at what Nick was doing as he held onto Gabrielle's hand. She squeezed it gently to which he returned.

"Nick, why do you have two sets of gold cauldrons?" Harry asked as he took note of the many different cauldrons in each of his stations.

"Excellent question," Nick said. "The one that I'm using; the one you see on the end of the cauldron lineup, is a cauldron that was transformed into pure gold by the Philosopher's Stone. Because it is pure, it will cause no reaction to whatever liquid I put into it. It's quite handy that way. Also, since it's in its purest form, when I alter the substance within, the properties of the cauldron are not affected."

Gabrielle quickly wrote down the information in her notebook after retracting her hand from Harry's, but promptly replaced her hand within his when she finished.

They watched Nick work for a while, asking questions when they had them and handing him ingredients or supplies when he needed them.

The elixir had to be entirely altered under the influence of the Philosopher's Stone yet, and then set for at least twenty-four hours, according to Nick.

"I can go grab the stone for you," Harry said, seeing that Nick was nearing the point of needing it.

"No," Nick said immediately. Almost too quickly for Harry's liking. "No, I'll go get it. Just make sure this doesn't explode." And off he went up the stairs.

Harry turned to Gabrielle with a raised eyebrow. "Is it just me or is he really overly protective of that stone?"

Gabrielle simply shrugged her shoulders. "It's one of the most valuable substances in the world. I'm sure if anything happened to it, nothing good could come from it."

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "I almost wonder how he made it though."

"I know it's the main goal of Alchemy to create the Philosopher's Stone, but why are you interested?" Gabrielle asked, suddenly turning playful. "Do you want to live forever?"

Harry chuckled at her playfulness and pushed her back with his shoulder. "Not at all. I was just wondering how he figured out how to make one. He hasn't mentioned it once, and he cares for that thing like a baby."

"Well, it _is_ the Philosopher's Stone, the only one of its kind and extremely valuable. I'm sure it's—"

"What are you two lovebirds whispering about now?" Nick said, harrumphing down the steps and cradling the stone to his chest.

"Just wondering how we can help," Gabrielle stated, without missing a beat and giving Harry a pointed look.

Snorting, Nick replied, "Yeah, right. You two gossip worse than a couple of old ladies."

"Would you fall under that category?" Harry asked smirking.

"What? Under old ladies?"

"No, just old," Harry said, looking over to Gabrielle as she covered her mouth and started giggling.

Nick stared at them for a second before laughing himself, gripping the stone close to his chest as he did so. "Old is an understatement, my boy."

Shoulders shaking from his chuckling, Nick turned around and gently dropped the stone into the elixir. Gabrielle dropped Harry's hand after a gentle squeeze and came around to Nick's other side to watch and take notes.

Thick steam was rising from the depths of the cauldron, to which Nick carefully used his wand to transfigure the smoke into the alchemical runes, and lowering it back into the elixir. Within moments, the elixir started glowing red. The glow became stronger and stronger until finally, there was a flash of bright light and the glow settled down to a dull pink.

Sighing, Nick extracted the stone with a gold ladle and set it off to the side to cool off. "I'll have to do this once a day till the glow turns white."

"Why must you transfigure it so many times?" Gabrielle asked curiously.

Nick carefully picked the stone back up into his hands after setting the elixir with a stasis charm and began walking up the steps, back into his office in the apothecary. "It's the purification process. For it to be a true alchemical elixir, it must be purified. Using the stone is the easiest and fastest way to achieve that."

"How would you do that without the stone?" Asked Harry. He was eyeing the elixir curiously, as he could tell the contents had turned a musky brown color that resembled a cardboard box with swirling gray stars, far from the liquid gold and silver he was used to seeing in this elixir.

"That's the difficult part. It's impossible without a Stone." Nick said. "Only the stone can purify the element within completely. Anyone who tries otherwise may get close, but never reach that complete enlightenment of the elixir."

Gabrielle quickly scribbled this in her notebook once again, and they all began ascending the steps into the apothecary. They had closed the shop early that day to train but had let the time escape from them. There were barely a few rays of sunshine as the sun set, painting the horizon a deep orange, haloed with a golden yellow and chased by the indigo night sky. There were no clouds to obscure the scene and the air was cool, but did not yet have the bite of fall.

Harry and Gabrielle said their goodbye's to Nick after putting their notes away and reapplying Harry's glamours and decided to walk back to their flat instead of apparating.

The little episode they had when they finished dueling was still in the back of Harry's mind, as it frequently was. There were times he wanted to duel her just to purposefully see if he could bind her in some sort of predicament so he could have his way with her. They didn't have much time for romance recently, though they usually tried to find time regardless. Now all Harry wanted was her in their bed with the satisfaction that she might not be able to walk correctly the next morning.

He tried to shake the thoughts away as he held her hand, and they walked gradually to their destination. A rough-looking man bumped into Harry's shoulder and muttered a terse, "Watch it."

At this point, Harry was used to the rudeness of people whenever he and Gabrielle went out into public. Gabrielle's Veela appeal sometimes attracted men at random if she wasn't careful, and as if they couldn't control themselves, they sometimes lashed out at him. While Harry was now used to it, it still shocked him sometimes how other people would react in public, and he could imagine why Gabrielle didn't usually like walking back to their flat. However, Harry couldn't be bothered too much by the prick who ran into him as a thought occurred to him.

He turned a bit to see Gabrielle's reaction to his question. "You can control your Veela appeal, in a sense, right?"

Gabrielle snickered at his inquiry, eyes twinkling. "I think so. Sometimes it comes out randomly, but I've learned to curb it in a way. It's always there, but I've taught myself to suppress it. I think I'm the only one in my family who's learned to do it." She started giggling and said, "Between you and me, I think Fleur secretly likes the attention."

Harry laughed at the memory of Ron nearly falling all over himself at the sight of Fleur every time she entered a room back when she and Bill were just engaged. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're right." He pondered for a second. "How did you figure it out?"

"Well, I thought back to our history. We're most closely related to Sirens. They evolved into two subspecies: Mermaids and Harpies. Veelas are Avian in nature, so we came from the Greek related Sirens and are direct descendants of Harpies. Now, a Siren's power comes from their voice, so I figured a lot of our appeal comes from our vocal inflections. It's why I refused to join any musical group while at Beauxbatons. It would've driven the boys there mad with desire. Also, it's why we usually get accosted in public if I laugh."

Harry nodded in understanding and contemplated everything she told him, finding it strange that he wasn't as affected, but he couldn't complain.

They were quiet for a spell before Gabrielle said, "Why do you ask?"

Harry looked up to the darkening sky, breathing in the crisp air and smiled to himself as he spoke. "I was just thinking that since you can control it, maybe it would be fun if for one night, maybe you didn't?"

"Didn't control my appeal?" Gabrielle asked, almost stopping in her tracks.

"Yeah," Harry affirmed, turning to look at her. He glanced around to check if there was anyone around, and stepped close enough for her to discreetly feel his throbbing erection with her hand from their previous activities in the Alchemy dungeon. He leaned down and whispered, "You could tie me to a chair so I can't get up, sing to me so I know what your siren song is all about, and then lose control altogether. Besides, I feel like you hold back sometimes because you're trying to control it."

Gabrielle breathed out a puff of air as though the very thought made her insides tremble, when her face set into one of determination and mischief.

Suddenly, Harry was pinned against a brick wall of a secluded alley, unable to move his arms and legs. After a moment, Harry realized that Gabrielle had silently charmed him to stick to the wall, and she was suddenly pressing her body seductively against him. If the charm weren't holding him up, his knees would have collapsed beneath him. She cupped him firmly outside his trousers and leaned in.

When she spoke, her voice had changed completely. While it still had the light-hearted and clear quality, her voice was elevating in pitch that her talking alone sounded like the most beautiful melody he'd ever heard in his life, and she wasn't even singing yet! Not that Harry noticed the little details. As soon as she spoke, everything in his peripheral vision went fuzzy, except for Gabrielle. All he could see was her, and the world around him begin to spin as though he was drunk. The only thing keeping him stable was to look at her and her alone.

"You know, I might as well just call you Odysseus if you're going to talk like that." Gabrielle crooned into his ear. Harry gasped as a wave of desire filled him, and he struggled against his magical bonds. She raised her wand warningly, her cool breath tickling his ear, sending goosebumps down the length of his body. "I might just have to take you up on your offer."

She kissed him right under his ear, soliciting a strangled moan from the depths of his lungs. It was loud and deep, but he didn't care. All he knew was that he _needed_ her. He needed to bury himself deep inside her and hear her speak to him like that again and listen to her song and slam his aching body into hers and—

Then, the feeling disappeared. Harry looked around and saw that he could see properly, but he was panting and starting to sweat, still stuck to the wall. His erection was throbbing painfully and he wanted to reach down to adjust it, but still couldn't move. He looked up to Gabrielle, smiling sweetly at him before she asked, "Can I let you go?"

Slightly dazed, Harry looked around him once more to confirm that everything was back to normal, blinking multiple times and muttered, "Yeah, I think so."

He immediately adjusted himself, and Gabrielle giggled at the uncomfortable look on his face. She grabbed his hand, and they started walking again, almost to their apartment. "I've never purposefully done that. Ever. I think this could be fun."

Harry's breath was taken away yet again by her beautiful smile as she turned to look back at him. His hands were trembling slightly, and he squeezed her's to steady it a bit. He laughed at himself, fully realizing what his reaction had been now that his head had cleared. "Now that I know what's coming, I'm not sure this is such a good idea anymore."

Biting her lower lip, Gabrielle giggled. "You're not going to back out now, are you?" She fixed him with a puppy-dog stare, playing every part of her innocent nature into that one look. "I was actually really excited to try this."

Harry chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. "And try we will."

At his words, Gabrielle squealed in excitement and began walking faster to their flat, bouncing with every step as though she were trying not to jog. If Harry hadn't been listening, he would've missed her say, "Honestly, I've wanted to jump on top of you all day."

At her words, Harry quickened his pace as well, and in no time, they were back to their apartment. _Of all days we decided not to Apparate._ Harry thought frantically, feeling the strain a little more keenly through his pants as they crossed the threshold.

Within seconds of entering their bedroom, Gabrielle practically jumped into Harry's arms, and they began kissing with such fervent need that their breathing immediately elevated. Panting heavily, they kissed each other passionately, tongues moving together, tasting the other thoroughly. They quickly discarded their traveling robes into small piles on the floor, while Harry continued to push Gabrielle till her back eventually hit a wall. Their kisses turned desperate, trying to find solace in the other and needing the closeness of each other in the most primal of ways. Harry leaned down to fully capture her mouth into his, licking hungrily at her tongue and feeling her body appreciatively with his hands when Harry was suddenly pinned to a chair. _Damn, already?_ Harry thought, disappointed that he wouldn't be able to touch her till she let the spell go.

He tried moving his limbs but found that they had also been bound and Harry noticed he had dropped his wand in the pile of clothes he discarded by the door. After a moment, Harry felt the familiar trickle of magic as his glamours melted away, his messy black hair falling just above his shoulders.

A change seemed to have taken over Gabrielle and utterly transform her. She was no longer reserved and had a fire in her eyes that drove Harry crazy with need and desire. She sauntered over to where he was now sitting and straddled him on the chair. They still had their clothes on, much to Harry's dislike, and she didn't lean in close enough to kiss. Instead, she ground her pelvis against Harry's hard length and brushed her tongue against the side of his neck, sending shivers up and down his spine and only brought a wave of sexual frustration as he couldn't touch her or grind up against her.

When he finally made eye contact with her again, her entire demeanor had changed. "You wanted to see this part of me?" She asked seductively. It was the sexiest thing Harry had ever heard in his miserable life. The words he knew weren't particularly naughty, but whatever she was doing with her voice…

His eyes glazed over as he got another rush of that feeling he had in the Alley on the way back to the flat. Anywhere he looked, he was dizzy, or his vision was fuzzy unless he looked at her.

She smiled and continued, as she gently pulled her shirt up to reveal her stomach, inching up slowly to show her bra. "I don't think you realize what you've gotten yourself into, Love."

Harry was getting increasingly more uncomfortable at being magically bound to this chair. All he wanted to do was touch her. He wanted to feel her soft skin against his, he wanted to pull on her golden hair to force her to look at him as his cock slides inside her and feel her moan into his ear as he brought her to her climax as she bounced on top of him with her breasts bouncing before his face as he hungrily sucked at her nipples.

But he was stuck, unmoving to this chair. He growled in frustration as he tried to lean forward to garner some more friction, but couldn't move. Gabrielle noticed the small movement and said, "Now, now, dear. You're bound for a reason, remember? Can't have you attacking me in the middle of my song for you, now can I?"

She leaned back and slid off his lap to the ground. She was on her knees and looked up to him as she slowly undid the flack of his trousers. Her hand wriggled inside and brushed against his throbbing sex as she slowly brought the clothing to his ankles.

She made quick work of his shirt and left him in only his boxers, magically bound to a chair in the bedroom, when she looked up with piercing eyes—

And began to sing.

It wasn't anything grand like he had been expecting, and honestly, he couldn't even tell if she was saying words at all. But the musical tones that flowed from her took effect immediately.

He had never experienced anything like it. As the first word left Gabrielle's lips, her whole being transformed. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life, and she seemed to radiate and glow as her song encompassed them.

But what Harry wasn't expecting, was the desire that suddenly filled him and became unbearable. He felt his eyes glaze over as the world around him turned black. He couldn't see anything or any of his surroundings, except for the woman kneeling before him, tantalizing him slowly by caressing his legs before reaching for his boxers. Her glow was the only thing he could see, and she looked like an angel.

As soon as the first note hit his ears, he also wasn't expecting the primal reaction of his cock, which throbbed instantly and refused to stop. It was as though he was on the verge of coming, but he was in a state of balancing just over the edge, yet not quite reaching the release, and the constant throbbing only made it worse.

Gabrielle leaned into his ear and continued her song, her voice reverberating through Harry's ears and further darkening the surrounding area of his vision. He moaned at the contact of her skin, and he desperately wanted to stand. He wanted to fuck her into oblivion, and he began panting as his desire ran through him like a torrential storm.

Finally, she moved down again and took his boxers down completely. He now sat wholly naked, and she bent down again and brushed her tongue against his length. The effect was instant, and he let out a guttural groan at the contact. He wanted—no, needed more. His eyes focused solely on her as she caressed him with her tongue, not fully taking him in her mouth. Her glow almost hurt his eyes, and he couldn't take it anymore. The pleasure she was bringing him was so intense, teetering on the edge of complete bliss and painful foreplay.

He moaned into the air again as she swirled her tongue around the tip as he focused on her and the way her mouth was moving. "Gabrielle, please-" Harry begged, panting hard. He would have hated begging any other instance, but the sensations were so intense, he didn't know if he could last much longer.

With a smirk, she engulfed him entirely into her mouth. She started slow and stroked him a few times, her lips sliding down to the base on the fifth time down.

Harry strained as hard as he could against his magical binding but still couldn't budge. He moaned so loud he thought he heard his voice echo off the bedroom walls. Gabrielle's hand came up and stroked the bottom of his length while her mouth caressed him toward the top. The combined sensations of her mouth and hand working together, her voice still sounding through his ears and bringing a heightened desire through him, and whatever she was doing to practically glow in front of him while turning everything else black was driving him over the edge, and quickly.

Gabrielle moaned as she went down on him one more time and he came. Harry threw his head back as he could finally feel his release within her mouth and briefly felt his cock touch the back of her throat as she swallowed his cum.

Harry thought he saw a look of surprise when he came, but he couldn't control it. He was still pulsing, emptying his load within her mouth when she finally pulled away. He looked down to her face, eyes glazed over from his climax and saw her lick some of his semen that was on her lips. He still heard her song rushing through his ears, and he was immediately at that tipping point of another climax and painful anticipation.

Without warning, she stood up and walked over to the bathroom sink, leaving Harry to squirm in his chair. He HAD to have her. He would die if he didn't. _Blast her for still singing._ He thought briefly. The fact that he could have a coherent thought astounded him, because with her in the bathroom, his desire was heightened since he couldn't see his surroundings, except for a faint glow where he knew she was.

What felt like an hour, was probably only a few seconds of him trying to break free of his magical bonds, when she came back around the corner and wore a look of surprise at the desperate look on Harry's face.

He was sweating and panting still as though he had been drugged. He watched her lift her wand in the air, and suddenly, he was free of his bonds. As though she was a magnet, he shot up out of his chair and slammed his mouth against hers, tasting her with a primal need so intense that he was surprised when he heard himself practically growl into her mouth.

Without hesitation, he ripped her clothes off, not even trying to be careful. She gasped slightly in surprise but went with it, fully ready to take him. His hands were roaming her body when she began backing up away from him toward the bed. Understanding in some faraway part of his brain what she was doing, he followed, yet all he could really focus on was getting her clothes off and fucking her brains out.

Crawling clumsily on the bed and trying to capture her mouth again, he brought her close to him and felt her skin against his and gasped at the sensation it caused. His senses were heightened from her constant singing in his ear, and he almost whimpered at the feel of his cock sliding on the very outside of her slick passage. He didn't remember walking to the bed, nor taking all her clothes off but he didn't care how or when that happened. All he knew was he had her before him, naked, and ready to take him. She was on her back, and she had that fire in her eyes again as she spread her legs open, inviting him in.

Instantly, he frantically lined himself with her passage and slammed into her. A voice in the back of his head told him he should have gone down on her too, warmed her up a bit before going crazy, but the voice was quiet, and he couldn't register it fully with her singing. It still caused him to look down briefly and see that she was moaning loudly in pleasure into the air, grasping onto his hips to bring him closer. She sang his name and Harry lost it.

As if it would be the last time ever having sex in his life, he pounded into her so frantically and so hard that the bed shook from the sheer force of his thrusts. Even at his speed, he could feel her walls tightening around his cock, but the angle wasn't enough.

He quickly stopped, and without pulling out, had her on her hands and knees. He began slamming into her again, much more satisfied with the angle this position gave and focused on her body before him since everything else was still black. He grasped her hips and forced her back onto his pulsing cock for a better angle and faster and harder thrusts. Her moans rang in his ears along with her song, and he wondered for a second how on earth she could moan and keep singing.

Banishing the thought, he watched as his cock went in and out of her wet passage, sheathing and unsheathing itself and glistening with her essence. When Gabrielle moaned, it sent Harry over the edge a second time, and he felt himself pulsing and pouring himself into her as he tried to thrust himself a few more times before he met his completion, trying to prolong the feeling for as long as he could. His whole body shook from the force of his orgasm that he collapsed on top of her and held her tightly to him from behind, his eyes closed tight.

When he opened them again, his vision was still black, and his desire instantly filled him again without pause, as he could still hear Gabrielle singing.

Hardly pausing, he began to thrust again, her walls now incredibly slick with the combination of her juices and his semen. He glided in and out of her again, desperately seeking that relief. The blackness around him was consuming him unless he looked at her, and in a desperate attempt to see her face again instead of her backside, he pulled out, flipped her over, and then buried himself deep within her again, lifting one of her legs to rest on his shoulder.

Within moments, her walls were tightening around him as he thrust desperately to find another release. She let out a loud moan, saying his name and pulling him closer to as he came again.

As she came down from her climax, Harry saw her look into his eyes and alarm brush across her features as she realized that Harry was still not satisfied, though he was just beginning to see the outline of the furniture in the room.

Her face set into another determined expression, and she flipped Harry onto his back while he reached forward to find some sort of comfort and purchase from her body. She quickly swung a leg over him in the same way they were caught after their duel. She sat down on his hard length and began riding him, her movements quick and fierce as though she felt the same way Harry himself was feeling.

Harry grasped onto her hips as she bounced on top of him, panting heavily and planting his feet on the bed to help with the thrusting. He soon came again, moaning her name as she bent down to engulf his moans within her mouth.

With every orgasm, the room slowly became less and less fuzzy and dark. Her singing soon faded away, and he wondered why the hell she was still singing to him if she knew the effect it had on him. Perhaps she thought it was funny and liked having this much control over him to the point where he couldn't even formulate a single coherent thought. Regardless, he would make her regret it.

When Harry could finally see clearly again, he had her back on her hands and knees, having made her come again, though in all honesty, he didn't know how many times she did. He slumped over her naked body, sweating, panting, and utterly exhausted.

He took a few minutes to catch his breath, Gabrielle having slumped over as well and staring at the ceiling of their bedroom as they attempted to take in what had just happened over the past four hours.

When Gabrielle finally got her breathing under control, she looked over to Harry and, seeing the overly spent look on his face, started laughing.

"What in merlin's name are you laughing at?" Harry asked, though unable to bring up any real emotion as he was too tired for such nonsense.

She took in a breath to steady her laughter when she said, "What the hell happened to you? You were a completely different person."

Harry scratched the top of his head and frowned, "I don't know what came over me. Are you alright?"

Giggling and covering her mouth to curb her desire to laugh out loud again, Gabrielle kissed Harry's cheek and said, "I've never been better. That was probably one of the best experiences I've had, and it was a lot of fun." She fell onto her back again and grasped his hand loosely. "Not sure we should ever do that again though."

"You really let yourself go though," Harry commented. "I liked that you did. But why did you keep singing the whole time?"

"What?" Gabrielle asked, her brows furrowing together in confusion.

"Why did you sing to me the whole time?" Harry asked again.

She paused as though contemplating something. "What exactly happened to you?"

Confusion setting over him now, Harry thought about what he felt and saw. "It was as though the whole world and the entirety of my vision just turned dark. I couldn't see anything except you, and you were singing the whole time, which I think is what kept me under, per se. It was like I couldn't control my impulses, and I did the first thing that came to mind."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Gabrielle said, smiling mischievously.

"What do you mean?"

"For starters, you put your finger in my arse a few times." She stated, shrugging as though it were no big deal.

"I what?" Harry asked, eyes widening in surprise.

At his reaction, Gabrielle started laughing uncontrollably. "Harry, it's okay." She said wiping away a stray tear from her laughter, then cupping Harry's face in her hands at the look of horror etched in his features. "I figured you weren't aware of what you were doing. Plus, I surprisingly found it quite enjoyable." She laughed again and then continued, dropping her hands to her side. "Besides, I didn't sing to you the whole time."

At this, Harry gave her a quizzical look. "But you did. I heard you singing the entire time I couldn't see my surroundings."

Brows furrowing together, Gabrielle said, "Harry, I only sang to you for the first minute you were stuck to that chair. I stopped after that."

At her words, Harry's mouth gaped open slightly, and he huffed out a breath of air in amusement at the thought. "I swear I heard it the whole time."

Contemplating this new information, Gabrielle answered, "Perhaps the siren song is more powerful than we realized."

"Well, it certainly explains some of the myths then." Harry countered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I feel drier than a desert, and I barely have any energy to lift my head. I can't imagine what a full-grown Veela's and Siren's powers would be like. No wonder all those sailors drowned after they followed the song."

Gabrielle's mouth fell open at this realization and they both started laughing at the idea of drunken sailors desperately trying to find the source of the song and the type of power they were put under, Harry commenting that he honestly would have started humping a wall if he couldn't find her, and laughing some more at the thought of a ship full of horny sailors.

The exhaustion took hold quickly from their activities, and they fell asleep in each other's arms, smiling happily with the other's company. Harry kissed Gabrielle's forehead and fell asleep.

~oOo~

The next morning, Harry was rudely awakened by a pillow coming in contact with his face multiple times.

"Wake up!" Gabrielle said, hitting him with the pillow as she straddled him.

Harry shielded his face from the blows. "What are you—no, I'm asleep." He growled groggily.

"Not anymore." She laughed and hit him once more. "We're going out for brunch." She commanded. "Get ready." With that, she sauntered over to the bathroom and began to shower.

Grumbling about getting up earlier than he would have liked, he obliged. He did want to treat her to something sweet after all since they didn't really have a chance to recently. He looked down and suppressed a laugh when he realized he didn't even have his usual morning erection. Their activities and experiment with Gabrielle's Veela appeal the previous night had literally sucked him dry. That didn't stop him from bringing Gabrielle some much-deserved pleasure with his mouth while they showered together, though he made sure to be gentle when she said she was sore. _Mission accomplished._ Harry thought, smugly.

They eventually finished cleaning, dressed for the day, and headed out the door, the pair of them radiating contentment and bliss.

Harry was still exhausted, but it was worth seeing the look on Gabrielle's face to be out and spending some much-needed time together outside of the apothecary, the gardens, and their flat.

They sat and ate at a small muggle diner, conversing enthusiastically about whatever they could think of. A few times, Harry noticed a few men stop in their tracks and look at Gabrielle with that glazed over look in their eyes, shake their heads and then walk away looking disgruntled. For some reason, this began to anger Harry, which hadn't been a problem before. But now that he fully experienced the actual effects of Gabrielle's appeal, he knew exactly what they were thinking, and he found it disgusting. Though a part of him knew that neither those men nor Gabrielle could help it, he still didn't like the idea.

But he wouldn't trade her happiness and excitement and bliss for anything. He would rather defend her from those men every day if it meant she would be able to express herself freely, which she was doing without reserve now. He smiled as they ate and discussed whatever came to mind, momentarily putting those thoughts from his mind as he focused on the beautiful quarter-Veela in front of him.

They finished eating and stayed well into the afternoon, also purchasing a light snack for lunch before they decided to walk around the shopping district of Paris for a bit.

When they began walking, Harry briefly noticed a lot of people staring at them as they walked. The air around them suddenly grew very tense, despite the easy conversation he and Gabrielle were having as they were walking.

He and Gabrielle were walking hand in hand when he heard shouting up ahead of them. A few people were purposefully running into Harry's shoulder as they sped up to investigate what had caused the commotion, but the pair ignored them, concern etching across their faces.

When they reached a little clothing shop that was known to cater to the wizarding world and muggles, they came to a stop. There was a man, much older than Harry or Gabrielle, dressed in unmistakable wizarding robes, and accosting what appeared to be a muggle. The wizard was shouting obscenities at the other man nearly cowering before him, and a small crowd had begun to gather.

Harry looked to Gabrielle, who nodded, and they walked together into the circle that was forming, breaking up the crowd as they went.

Upon reaching the man, Harry heard him say, "—And how dare you disrespect me you no good, dirty muggle!"

"Hey!" Harry shouted fiercely. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

The man laughed and withdrew his wand, pointing it straight at Harry's forehead. "And what do you think you're going to do about it?" Harry heard gasps from the other wizarding folks in the crowd, and snickers from the muggles who didn't see why or understand how pulling a wooden stick out as a weapon was an actual threat.

Harry discreetly showed the man his own wand from in the inside pocket of his jacket and lowered his hands. The man before him narrowed his eyes suspiciously and regretfully lowered his wand too.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Harry asked, "What is going on here?"

The man's chuckle was cold and humorless, yet was filled with passion. "Have you been living under a rock?"

Harry glanced to the side and saw that Gabrielle had extracted the muggle from behind the man and was leading him somewhere behind them. Harry stepped forward. "No, and if my memory serves me correct, the Statute of Secrecy could have you arrested for presenting your wand to a crowd of muggles."

"Who the fuck cares about that, they should know! They have a right to know." The man stated pompously.

Harry nodded, "Some of them can handle it, yes, but not all. It's why the Statute is in place."

Shaking his head, the man muttered, "If they can't handle it, then that only proves to show how right they are."

"Who? How right who is?" Harry inquired, taking a few steps closer to hear the man better.

"My cousin and my friend," The man said. "This only proves how much more powerful the wizarding world is. And how much muggles and purebloods need to be put in their place. My cousin has been talking with this man over in Bulgaria. He says, 'What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make,' and I believe it's just what our world needs. Someone to make a difference."

At this, Harry froze. He knew those words, and he knew them well. "Wait," Harry said, pausing his inquiries. "What—did you say?"

Repeating what he had said previously, the color immediately drained from Harry's face at his words.

The man puffed his chest out as though he himself had made a difference to Harry and leaned in, "Why do you think so many people got hurt a while back? They were resisting the change." Harry narrowed his eyes in disgust and realized almost a moment too late that he had an opportunity to garner some information.

He schooled his features to look interested and ready to respond positively to what the man had to say. "I _was_ wondering, actually," Harry said, his voice low and curious. "Was it to put people in their place?"

"Of course, it was." The man looked around and saw that the crowd had mostly dispersed and continued in a whisper. "Muggles deserve to live, just like anyone else, but I'm afraid they will only ever be pebbles in our shoes unless proven useful. As for the purebloods, they have ruined our lives in the war against You-Know-Who. A pureblood wizard raped and killed my sister right in front of me. They deserve to be punished above all. Everyone is just brushing this war off as though nothing happened and forgetting those we lost. The entire reason we had that war was that the purebloods decided to exterminate Muggles and muggleborns. If it weren't for muggle's inability to do magic, we wouldn't have had to go through the mess that we did. But they were defenseless, and therefore needed guarding. The least we could do is offer them a place within our world.

I believe muggles are smart in their own way, but if they refuse to accept the world in which they live, then they deserve to be put in their place."

Harry nodded, unable to believe his ears at such an ignorant speech. The man's words contradicted themselves, yet he could tell he wholeheartedly believed every word he said, and it didn't make sense.

"What was it that your friend said?" Harry asked, cautiously.

The man huffed, "Basically the same thing, except he's more in line with bringing the muggles into our world and having them work for us, a gift from the wizarding world to eventually let them be a part of it." He nodded toward the man he accosted before, speaking with Gabrielle and glancing at the man in front of Harry, obviously nervous and wanting to get away. "That muggle over there asked me about my robes, one of the oldest wizarding traditions. He can't accept my wardrobe, so I have no time for him in return. I was simply putting him in his place."

Harry pursed his lips and decided to play along a bit more, at least until this lunatic was out of his sight. "While I agree with what you said, there's still the Statute of Secrecy to uphold. You can't go around in your traditional robes and not expect some push-back."

He held up a hand, signaling for the man' cooperation when it looked like he was about to speak. He quieted down and listened. "These things take time. I suggest if you really want to change the world and make a difference, talk to the people who are different from you and see what their lives are like before you accost them in the street."

Waving his hand in Harry's face, the man began walking away, "Yeah, yeah. I'll stick to wearing my robes, thanks." And with that, the man started walking away, absorbing all the stares he was getting as he did so.

Sighing heavily, Harry went over to the man standing by Gabrielle. He stuck out his hand in a friendly offer. "I'm sorry about that, sir. It looks like I got him calmed down and on his way."

The man took Harry's hand and shook, saying, "Thank you, sir. My name is Landry."

"Nice to meet you," Harry said, turning to Gabrielle for a second before addressing Landry again. "I suggest you go elsewhere in case he comes back. Not sure what else I can do if he does."

Landry nodded, looking ready to leave and took off after another hasty thank you and goodbye.

~oOo~

After telling Gabrielle everything that was said during that small conversation with the man, Harry was deeply disturbed. He had led her away from the crowds and held onto her hand tightly, replaying the words through his head.

Gabrielle could tell he was deeply bothered by what the man said and asked, "Why is what he said so important to all this?"

Harry shook his head. "It's not that it's important, but what he quoted, about making a difference, I said that. He took the words right from one of my speeches that I gave for the press at the Ministry and twisted them to fit his muggle/pureblood ideology. I never thought that my own words would be used and taken out of context to be used in the justification for the destruction of another group of people."

Harry finished, sucking in a breath and threw up his hands. "What else have I said that is being taken out of context?"

Gabrielle shook her head, unable to provide an answer. They vowed to start going out more to observe more of what was happening around them. They could tell over the next week that every time they went out into public, the air was very tense. Every once in awhile, a random person was accosted in the streets for the same reasons Landry was approached, and a few wizards were accused of being purebloods including, to Harry's twisted delight, the man who had confronted Landry.

Harry and Gabrielle stood far enough away to not be noticed, yet close enough to hear what was going on when the man was being accused of being a pureblood because of his refusal to blend in with the society around them. Only purebloods were too proud blend in. Nothing terrible happened, but it left the man leaving flustered and red-faced after trying to explain why he was wearing his robes.

On this particular night, Harry and Gabrielle stayed at the Apothecary and were alternating between studying alchemy and dueling. They dueled a little more fervently after everything they had witnessed, and they were getting to be quite good. After a particularly intense duel, they heard Nick open the ceiling door from the office and begin his descent down the steps. The couple emerged from the room and walked over to him, only to see a letter in Nick's hand, addressed to Gabrielle.

Gabrielle curiously took the letter and opened it, only to cover her mouth and nearly let out a strangled sob.

Alarmed, Harry took the letter and quickly read through the contents:

Gabrielle,

Your father has been admitted to the hospital. I couldn't wake him up this morning, and when he did, he couldn't breathe. I didn't want to alarm you but seeing as he's not waking up, I need you to tell Bernie that we need his help. Come as quickly as you can.

Love,

Mum

Harry immediately gave the letter to Nick, who set his jaw with worry as Harry consoled Gabrielle. Nick crossed the room to his desk and brought over the just finished elixir for Pierre. "It's not the correct dosage, but it should hopefully wake him up," Nick said, shoving the potion into Harry's hands. "I need some more of his blood, so make sure the healers put some in this." He handed Harry another small vial. "As much as you can get me," Nick added.

Within seconds, Gabrielle and Harry were standing outside _Le Hospital des Sorciers Saint Josephine_ and found Pierre's room, Gabrielle walking in a sort of daze.

Upon entry, Apolline stood from Pierre's bedside and glided over to hug Gabrielle. It was apparent the half-Veela had been crying recently and knelt down with Gabrielle who had unshed tears in her eyes at the look of her father in the hospital bed. Not wanting to interfere, Harry walked over to a Healer and explained that he needed some more of Pierre's blood and that he had a potion for them to administer to him.

The Healer immediately began to work, extracting the blood as requested as Apolline and Gabrielle whispered about what had happened. After the Healer was finished, Harry bent over Pierre and, with the help of Apolline and the Healer, tilted his head back and dribbled the elixir down his throat. He waited a bit till Harry knew Pierre would swallow, and then administered the rest, little by little.

With the elixir gone, they sat and waited for a few hours, patiently waiting for the man to stir, and nothing came.

There was nothing they could do for Pierre, who was slowly dying in the hospital bed, and Fleur and Bill would not be there to visit till morning. Apolline stood and walked over to Gabrielle, gently placing her delicate hand on her daughter's shoulder. "You two should go home and rest." She said quietly.

"Mum, no," Gabrielle protested, lifting her head and revealing her red-rimmed eyes. "I'm staying."

Apolline shook her head. "There is nothing we can do at this moment. And it wouldn't do to exhaust yourself unnecessarily."

"I think she's right," Harry spoke up. Gabrielle turned to look at him who looked on the verge of being angry with him for speaking out against her. "We can go back and give this to Bernie," Harry said, holding up the vial of fresh blood. "We can help Pierre more by giving Bernie this vial than we will if we stay here."

Gabrielle glanced between her mother and Harry, looking both pleading and unsure. Finally, she sighed and agreed, hanging her head slightly. "You're right, Jake." She said quietly, taking his hand and turning to Apolline. "We'll be back tomorrow morning when Fleur arrives."

Apolline glided over and hugged Gabrielle goodbye, and the couple exited the hospital hand-in-hand. They needed to get to Nick as soon as possible.


	19. No Turning Back

Author's Note: Hello again everyone! Wow! Thank you for all the comments! I am really amazed at all the support and help you have DM'd and reviewed since the posting of that Q&A. Thank you for being so understanding and supportive. I will take everything into consideration and I greatly appreciate the help and advice that was given. As promised, here is another chapter, and I sincerely hope you enjoy. Please review what you think and DM if you have any questions.

Author's Note 2: Just a tid bit of fun information about me. My posting schedule is going to be wonky this year. I have a full time job during the day and a part time job at night. I am crazy busy, which leaves only weekends to write. Please have patience with me and my random posting schedule. I will try to get at least one chapter out per month.

Author's Note 3: Just for fun, I thought I'd share another tid bit of information about me. I am greatly inspired by music. Therefore, I try to assign a song (Without words) to a character or situation to get inspiration for said character. My chosen piece for Gabrielle's theme specifically (Or even whenever Harry and Gabrielle share a tender moment together) is titled _Primrose_ from the Hunger Games Soundtrack. Just the guitar part in the beginning. It's amazing and I feel it fully encompasses her character. Give it a listen first, and then listen while you read her parts. I feel it gives me a better understanding of who she is.

Thanks again everyone! We love you all and we hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

~Harry~

As soon as Harry returned with Pierre's blood, Nick went straight to work at creating the elixir. Gabrielle helped where she could, but mostly stayed out of the way, as she was too distracted to fully comprehend everything that was going on, though her look of determination never left her features. A few times, Harry stepped away from the station to comfort her when he heard her sniffle a bit, and went back to work with Nick, soaking up everything the older man was saying.

To Harry's surprise, Nick was having him help with the more difficult parts of the alchemy process, instructing him as he went and talking him through the process step by step, while he did more of the advanced researching with the sample of blood. Nick first studied the blood through a muggle microscope, hoping to find something out of the ordinary, but to no avail. Even Harry couldn't find anything out of the ordinary, after being shown what was normal and abnormal. Instead, they separated the blood into two parts: one part that would carry the newly transfigured elements throughout Pierre's body, and the other part, which would be purified entirely and then combined again into the elixir.

Entrusting Harry to watch over their concoction, Nick went upstairs to grab the Stone so they could begin the purification process, while Harry was left to transmute the main ingredient, Mercury, into its lowest form; keeping only a few of the key elements within, while discarding the rest.

Harry was successfully finishing up the process as Gabrielle watched quietly and handed Harry items as needed, and Nick came back down the steps with the Stone. With Harry not knowing exactly what to do with the leftover elements, Nick set the stone down and took over.

Drawing out his wand, Nick contained the leftover elements and drew the alchemical symbols over them as he did for the elixir, and they fused into one hard stone. Harry watched in amazement as he worked and asked, "How did you do that?"

"Transfiguration and transmutation of the leftover elements." Nick grumbled out, still concentrating on the rock he was fusing together. "We can't just let the leftover stuff go, they're too unstable. Instead, combine them with something you have on hand to make it stable so you can move on."

Suddenly, Nick had set the small rock on fire while still levitating it with his wand. When he was satisfied, he let the rock fall to the ground and turned back to the cauldron before him. In one fluid movement, Nick carefully placed the Philosopher's Stone into the cauldron, lifted his wand, and began muttering his incantations while drawing the symbols Harry had become familiar with. The elixir began glowing as was expected, but the glow still remained red when it eventually died down, if only a shade lighter.

Nick frowned at the lack of change within the elixir and shook his head slowly, gently extracting the Stone from the cauldron with his golden ladle. "This may take a while." He muttered as he dried off the stone, eyebrows furrowed together in concern. He cast a stasis charm on the cauldron and turned around to face Gabrielle. "I'm sorry, dear. It won't be ready for a while, but I'll do my best."

Gabrielle simply nodded her understanding while gracing them with her bravest smile as Harry placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Harry noticed she was no longer crying, but she still looked forlorn and faraway with the obvious sign of her tears with her red-rimmed eyes. Sighing heavily, she went up to Nick and hugged him, much to the surprise of the older gentleman. "Thank you for doing this." Gabrielle muttered, and stepped away, schooling her features into a look of impassiveness. She then turned back toward Harry, who looked on her with concern. "Let's go home." She said.

Harry nodded his agreement and took her hand in his as they left the shop.

~oOo~

The next morning proved uneventful. They visited Pierre and Apolline in the hospital and waited till Fleur and Bill showed up. When they did, Harry helped Bill with Victoire while the sisters and their mother conversed by Pierre's bedside, who still hadn't awoken. Bill nodded to Harry knowingly as they played with Victoire, and comforted Fleur, Gabrielle, and Apolline when needed.

Later in the morning, Apolline started talking, addressing the girls. "I need help." The older woman began dejectedly. "I need to stay here with your father and some representatives from the ministry will be coming as well. But I can't run the gardens from the hospital—"

"I'll do it, mama." Gabrielle spoke up almost immediately. "I know what to do."

A sad look stole over Apolline's angelic features, and she nodded a silent thanks to her youngest daughter. Not much was said after that.

When the couple finally did leave, they went straight to Nick and asked him what they could do to progress the elixir further. To their surprise, Nick had already tried purifying it again earlier that day, which now was showing a vibrant pink color. The couple was a little disappointed at the still deep color emanating from the cauldron, but Nick seemed satisfied with the miniscule change.

In the meantime, Nick went to one of the dusty bookshelves, pondered for a minute, grabbed a large volume off one of the shelves, and placed in front of Harry a full, handwritten book with notes and recipes, most of them recent.

"This book has all the notes I've written on the illness regarding Pierre." Nick stated. At this, Gabrielle walked up behind them to glance down, curious at its contents. Harry gently leafed through a few of the pages and then flipped to the last entry. Nick continued, "Harry, while Gabrielle is away and I tend to the shop and this new elixir, I want you to brew another vial of the most recent elixir to bring to the hospital. Hopefully that can keep him steady for a while until I can finish this revised version."

Harry nearly gaped at his words. "You want me to brew this by myself?"

If the situation wasn't so dire, Nick would have chuckled. "You understand the basics well enough." Nick held up his fingers as though to count off a list. "You can't give or take anything more or less than the properties any given substance contains; Alchemy is closely related to and a combination of potions, transfiguration, and muggle chemistry; it is the enlightenment of the mind and soul through purification; and you have an understanding of the runes involved to invoke the change. I trust that you can follow directions from that book enough to replicate the elixir well enough. I normally wouldn't teach you in this way, but some practical work may be of use to your learning."

Nodding slowly, Harry was flabbergasted that Nick had put this amount of trust into his alchemy work. He had only attempted very minute transmutations, which was more or less what he would have learned at Hogwarts had he elected to take the course. Everything he had done so far was well in his comfort zone. But this was an entirely different level of Alchemy, not to mention, it was for his girlfriend's dying father. What if he screwed something up?

Nicks voice entered his thoughts. "I will look it over before I send you on your way. You've proven yourself time and time again. Now's the time to show a bit of your bravery everyone is so fond of talking about."

He felt a gentle hand on his back and he turned to see Gabrielle staring up at him. All she did was nod once encouragingly. Her eyes were filled with an emotion so deep, he almost couldn't look away from the sheer depth of them. It was so simple, yet that simple gesture filled his heart and ignited a passion within him; a fierce determination, to brew this elixir and succeed. A single nod was his only answer to her before he squared his gaze upon the solid, pure gold cauldron before him and began to read.

~oOo~

Harry was able to successfully complete the elixir over the next few days, much do the Delacour's relief. Gabrielle was scarcely seen at their flat because of the sheer amount of work that was left undone by Apolline. When Harry finished the elixir and got the approval from Nick, he immediately went to Gabrielle at the Gardens to let her know what he was about to do.

"I just got the approval from N—Bernie, so I'll owl you as soon as I can if something happens." Harry told her, eyeing the workers around them in the gardens carefully.

Gabrielle nodded gratefully and replied, "I'll take off early for once and meet you at the flat when you get back, just in case. I have everything in order now so they should be okay without me for the night."

They agreed to these terms and Harry was off to the Hospital.

Upon his arrival, Elixir in hand, he began his journey to the ward that held Pierre. He gently rapt his knuckles on the door to his room and entered carefully, peeking in slowly before stepping inside. Apolline was sitting at Pierre's bedside, holding his hand. The man appeared to have barely moved since his last visit.

Harry walked slowly to the other side of the bed and greeted Apolline softly. She gave him a sad and hopeful smile and greeting. Her posture perked up immensely at the sight of the elixir that Harry carefully took out of his robes.

"Oh, Jake." She said, tearing up a bit at the sight. "Thank you."

All Harry did was nod his acknowledgement. He felt a bit uncomfortable at the sight of the woman's tears, especially since they were alone together with her dying husband, so he went to work immediately. With the help of a medi-witch, the three of them gently coaxed the swirling liquid down Pierre's throat. The mediwitch checked his vitals and ran diagnostic spells carefully as they waited. Nothing significant happened except that Pierre stirred a bit in his sleep on his own. That was an improvement from before.

Obvious disappointment flooded Apolline's features, and Harry couldn't help but feel sorry for her. Gabrielle looked so much like her mother that seeing Apolline's face stretched into a rictus of pain and sadness was hard to watch.

He stayed back for a few minutes before announcing his leave. He gave Apolline a supportive hug and informed her to owl him if she needed anything or anyone. She tearfully agreed and nodded gently, sadness radiating off her in waves.

Harry was secretly glad to be out of the room and slowly made his way across the hospital. He actually took his time to take in his surroundings for once and noticed that he was in the long-term ward. He realized proudly that his reading skills in French were finally getting to the level of his speaking abilities when something caught his eye and made him stop dead in his tracks.

Maybe it was the week of heightened emotions; maybe his brain just now finally decided to show strong empathy; or maybe it was because he was thinking of a particular witch that he so desperately wanted to help. Whatever the reason, the sight before him made his stomach clench.

There was a young woman on the bed. The thin sheets were covering most of her body and she was pale; so pale she was almost gray. A flash of a memory came to the forefront of Harry's mind.

 _Whites and yellows and anything lightly colored usually means disease and death. Fungus grows, a brightly colored spell maims or kills, and a corpse is pale and cold. Yes, fresh snowfall is peaceful, but what happens when that peaceful snow turns sinister? I've grown to hate light colors because ill fortune is often met in the presence of light._

Gabrielle's description of her favorite color. Harry studied the scene again, moving to the side of the room and feeling uneasy. The woman in the bed was so deathly pale, her chest barely moving, that he wondered if she would ever recover, though his wonderings were soon answered.

Next to her was a man a few years older than he was. The man was surrounded by a team of mediwitches who were running diagnostic spells over the woman. Harry listened carefully to the conversation the mediwitches and the young man were having.

"I'm sorry sir, but her injuries were too great." The Mediwitch closest to Harry said. Her back was turned to him, but he had a full-frontal view of the man's face. "The infection has spread. There's nothing we can do."

The group held their silence and Harry saw all life and happiness shatter in that moment in the man's eyes. "What do you mean?" The man said, tears forming and threatening to spill as he shook his head. "That can't be right. This is some sick joke."

"I'm sorry, sir. We will give you time to say goodbye."

"No, no stop." The man was angry now. "You said she was getting better. That the potions were working."

The mediwitches and wizards exchanged brief, knowing glances at one another before continuing. A different mediwizard stepped up and explained, "Her body has rejected the potions. The infection is set too deeply and would likely kill her faster. We cast a brief sleeping charm over her so she will not be in pain. We can lift it so you can say goodbye."

"I don't understand." The man said again, his voice shaking. "The attack happened weeks ago and there hasn't been anything else recently. She was getting better surely you can do something…"

"I'm sorry, sir. We will help in any way we can. But I suggest you speak with her now. She doesn't have much time left."

The group fell silent again and the man before them started shaking. Harry felt his chest clench painfully at the sight, but stayed in his relatively hidden corner and watched the scene unfold before him.

The Mediwitches removed the stasis on the woman, and the man put on a face of utter strength and determination.

"Hello, my love." He whispered gently to her as he sat himself down beside her. She looked over to him with pain filled eyes, as he took her hand. She was sweating profusely and her skin paled considerably at waking up, if that were possible. Her features were ashen and her hair lay in limp clumps, that the man tried to push carefully out of her face.

The woman struggled to speak when the man interrupted. "Remember when we first met?" He asked gently. The woman didn't smile or acknowledge that she understood what he was saying, her face still blank or scrunched in pain, but he continued. "You were the most beautiful witch I'd ever laid my eyes on. You had purple robes on with a braid and your favorite pointed hat." The man smiled at the memory and looked up into the woman's eyes. "I spent so many years trying to talk to you. And then again when we got married. Merlin, I was the luckiest man in the world. I wish I would have plucked up the courage to talk to you sooner so we could've been together longer."

A ghost of a smile appeared on the woman's face, but the effort of moving her muscles seemed to be too much for her. Still, she rasped out, "I'm…luckiest…"

The man laughed bitterly and squeezed her hand gently. He fell silent and her breathing rasped out harshly. The man's voice was shaking again. "I know we've only been married for a couple years, love. But…" The man stopped and stared down at his dying wife. She couldn't even grasp on to his hand, she was so weak. He held her hand up to his face to feel on his cheek. "…but, was I a good husband to you?" His eyes began to water.

The woman tried to squeeze his hand and smiled gently. Her breathing coming out much more harshly than before. "…The…best…" Every breath brought her pain.

A sad smile of agony and relief flooded the man's features and he gently kissed his wife's hand as more tears escaped, sliding down his face. His shoulders shook from his silent sobs before he sniffed and said, "I wish I could do something, love." He was silent again before he whispered, "I've failed you."

From within some unknown depths, the woman found the strength to lift her hand to her husband's cheek and gently wipe away his tears with her thumb. The man opened his eyes in surprise and leaned in to her touch. Her breath was now shallow. "You…gave me…everything." She took a moment to catch her breath and continued. "Please…be happy…without..me."

A choking sound came from the man beside her. "I could never be happy without you." He clasped onto her hand tighter than before, desperate to feel the life in her as it was fading slowly. "You're the love of my life. Our lives just started together. Please." He begged.

"Promise..me…." Her eyes began to close, a single tear escaping and mingling with the sweat on her ashen face.

"Sweetheart, please. I love you, don't leave me."

"…Iloveyou….." Her final breath ceased with those three words run together in her slurred and tired speech and she was no more.

The man began yelling desperately. "No! Please! Don't leave me, Please! I can't live without you. Please come back. Please…" The man put his head into her side and began sobbing uncontrollably. The mediwitches that stayed to watch didn't dare move as the man howled in pain and sobs wracked his body.

It was a few minutes before Harry realized that he had an immense pain in his chest. He realized fully what he had just witnessed and he clutched his chest as though he were being dealt physical blows. The scene before him invoked something frantic and desperate and the pain he felt seemed to be coming in waves. Only one thought provoked his mind: Gabrielle.

He needed to see her. He needed to be by her and hold her. He needed to know she was there with him.

Almost immediately, he tore from the ward and practically flew down the many steps to the main entrance of the hospital. His lungs screamed in protest at the sudden running but he didn't care. He needed to see Gabrielle.

He apparated back to their flat and instantly threw the door open. He stood within the frame for a second before his eyes landed on her walking across the kitchen to the living room with a book. She looked up and saw the frantic look in his eyes and stopped in her tracks. In two swift movements, Harry was across the room. He fell to his knees and held on to her desperately, as though she might turn to dust right before his eyes.

He hadn't realized that he had been crying from pain and relief at seeing her till she bent down and got to her knees to face him properly. "Harry, what happened?" She asked, concerned and worried at his state.

Harry simply held on to her as tight as he could without hurting her and she returned the gesture with an equal display of desperation.

When he could control his breathing, he pulled back slight to look at her face, but still held onto her protectively. "I just—" He wiped at the tears and sweat on his face. "I saw something and I—"

The memory of the life leaving the woman and the man at her side howling in pain as he watched his wife leave the world…

Harry gripped onto her harder and began shaking. He felt the magic of his disguise melt away and peered into Gabrielle's eyes again, not caring the he was showing weakness by crying. He didn't care anymore. He buried his face into her shoulder and hair once more and rocked back and forth with her in his arms.

"Harry—" She whispered; eyes wide.

"I can't imagine my life without you." Was all Harry was able to choke out. She was silent for a bit as the shaking eventually came to a stop and Harry calmed down.

When they pulled apart again, Gabrielle moved a clump of his hair from his face and cupped his face in her hands. "Harry, what happened?"

He lifted his hands to grip hers, but didn't move them. He leaned into her touch and whispered, "I saw someone lose the love of their life today…" He took a moment to gather his thoughts and continued. "I've seen death before, I'm no stranger to it. But this…I couldn't look away. And it filled me with dread and before I realized it…I was picturing you on that bed, dying right before my eyes."

Gabrielle stiffened but didn't say anything. He sniffed and looked down to the ground at the knees. "Gabrielle—I don't think I could live without you." He confessed.

The admission was difficult to express, but he had a shocking reminder today at the hospital: No one lived forever. And he was wasting precious time by being insecure and selfish in his relationship with Gabrielle. "I love you so much."

Gabrielle lifted his chin gently and placed a heated kiss on his lips, to which he readily leaned into to deepen. When they parted, she looked him directly in the eyes and held his gaze, her skin nearly glowing. "I love you too, Harry. More than I can ever say, and more than you'll ever know." They pressed their foreheads together the way the often did after they made love and listened as their breathing and heartbeats synced together. Harry's face was pained for a second as the thoughts of her dying fled his mind and he basked in the moment of intimacy they were sharing.

In that moment, he knew: there was no one else for him, and it took him nearly being traumatized in the hospital by imagining her death to realize it. The pain in his chest lessened only marginally, but relief at her presence caused a warmth to spread within him that he hoped she could feel as well.

She was perfect. He knew she had flaws, but those flaws made her into the perfect person she was. And though he knew he cherished her before, he felt a pull toward her that had nothing to do with her Veela appeal. She completed him in every way and they complemented each other, bringing out the best in each other with each passing day. She accepted him, not as the boy who lived or the man who defeated Voldemort, but for Harry Potter. She was perfect.

And his only wish was to spend the rest of eternity with her, or what little of eternity that could be afforded to them.

~Hermione~

The echoing _click clack click clack_ of her shoes resounded off the walls in the hallway that Hermione was briskly walking through. She carried an armful of papers regarding the meeting she was about to lead and only slowed when she heard the rough voices sounding through the doorway of the meeting hall.

Usually on days like this, she met with each group of spies individually and acted as their handler in their home countries, but today was different. Today, she had the spies from the Bulgarian region in their territory, not the other way around.

She was momentarily glad that she didn't have to travel to another country yet again, but the added guests did add to her stress. For one, she had to chaperone them around for the first few hours after their official meeting when she could have been researching her new leads or working in her newfound branch. Meeting new recruits also made her a bit nervous. Especially since there was one new recruit that she was particularly nervous about…

She took a steadying breath and opened the door to the meeting area. Even after all these years and all these meetings, she still wasn't comfortable speaking in front of people. She had always relied on Harry for that after the war. After he disappeared, she had learned just like anything else she set her mind to, but it still stirred a bit of anxiety within her.

There was a group of different looking men and women who all fell silent upon her entry. Most of them wore looks of surprise as she made her way to the front of the long table and set her folders down, ready to begin.

"Good morning everyone." Hermione said, without looking up at the crowd. She shuffled her papers into a neat pile and set that down as well. "We will begin momentarily. Please find your seats and we shall begin."

The group made their way to their seats around the table when she spotted him: Victor Krum. He was looking at her with bright, happy, and hopeful eyes, a big, goofy smile spreading across his features as he made his way to his seat. Hermione felt her cheeks flush slightly, but pushed the thought away. She was married now…

She cleared her throat and tore her eyes away from him after acknowledging him with a nod of her head. She quickly began the meeting.

"Hello everyone, and thank you for traveling to the British Ministry of Magic. My name is Hermione Granger and I am the creator of this ministerial branch." She paused and let this information sink in before continuing. "As some of you already know, this position can only be given to those who possess the finest skills of secrecy and trust. Some of you were Aurors who were asked to come here, and others signed up voluntarily. All of you were accepted. In other words, Congratulations."

The crowd of people smirked to each other at the success at getting into the program. Hermione didn't hesitate long however. "But that was the easy part. The purpose of your new position is anything but simple: you are spies. This branch is heavily influenced by ex-spy, Severus Snape, who you will learn all about in your history course over the next few days. Most of you will all be given a secret identity and will be going under cover to sniff out Dark wizards and to give more of an insight into the every day happenings on the streets that we normally would not have access to. The others will be working behind the scenes, gather the information your spies find, picking out the important information, and relaying them back to me to try and find patterns."

At Hermione's words, many of the new recruits nodded enthusiastically at the challenge, while others shot a confused glance at Victor. "Here are your new profiles. You are given a muggle occupation and a wizarding one, complete with new names and identification." She handed out the folders. "Read them over. Memorize them. Begin introducing yourselves as your new identity to ingrain it into your mind and it becomes second nature. This is vital to your survival. Your job will not be easy and it will not be safe one hundred percent of the time." As the recruits began reading, Hermione took a step back and was incredibly thankful that Kingsley had revamped the Auror training program to fit in more with the other countries so they weren't so vastly different.

She looked down into her hands at the one folder she kept from handing out and met the man's eyes. Victor's brows were pulled together in a look of hurt and confusion, staring at his hands that rested on top of the table. He glanced around the room a few times at the people reading their folders intently before he finally looked up and made eye contact with Hermione. She held up his folder in her hands and gave him a soft, barely-there smile. She hoped it was reassuring, and was satisfied when it had the desired effect. His eyebrows raised slightly and he leaned back into his chair, far more relaxed than he had been a second ago.

After the next few minutes had passed, Hermione went over the other key points of the meeting and dismissed the group to their next station. "Victor." She called over the clamor. "I need to speak with you, please."

He nodded and gruffly stood up, weaving his way through his colleagues. He stood at the end of the long table, next to Hermione as they waited for the room to clear. Hermione couldn't help but notice how awkward he looked standing there and waiting. It was kind of endearing.

When the room was finally clear and silence filled the room he said, "Herminy."

Hermione allowed herself a bright smile and stepped in for a hug. "Hello, Victor!" The hug didn't last long before they were catching up where they left off. They were still pen friends and wrote to each other often. That is until Ron found out. She had to either stop writing him completely or he would have to approve of the letters that she sent him. Ron was often jealous whenever she received a letter from Victor and would sulk for days after the fact. It got to the point where she couldn't stand the discord between them and stopped writing Victor altogether.

Still, Victor was her friend, and she had no idea that he had signed up to be in her Ministry branch until that morning. "What about your Quidditch Career?" Hermione asked. Last she heard, he had retired back in 2002, but there were whispers that he was still playing.

Victor laughed and said, "As of now, I am doing both. But honestly, I cannot play sports forever."

Hermione agreed with his statement and said, "That definitely makes sense. And your English has gotten better!"

Laughing embarrassedly, he replied, "Vell, I still haf a bit of an accent."

Blushing, Hermione looked down to her feet. She always did like his accent. Not any more though. She was married after all…

After a few moments, Victor cleared his throat and his smile disappeared, turning serious. "Vhy did you keep my folder?"

Hermione nodded gratefully and turned to face him completely. "That was what I wanted to talk to you about." She handed the folder over to him and let him peruse its contents. His brows furrowed together in concern and waited for her to respond.

"You are a very famous wizard, Victor. Everyone knows who you are. This presents a rather unique situation." She waited till she had eye contact with Victor and continued. "At first, I saw your name and questioned why they would allow you through as a spy. Or ever allow you through this program at all, honestly. But one of my other workers made a very fair point that I couldn't ignore. You can—"

Hermione stopped speaking abruptly as she heard the door open behind her.

Ron stepped in through the doorway and scanned the room, not noticing who else was in the room with her. "Hermione!" He said excitedly, bounding over to her and planting a big sloppy kiss on her lips.

Grunting in frustration, Hermione pushed him away as best she could. "Ron, I'm working," She scolded.

"I know, but I've been trying to owl you all morning and you wouldn't answer." Ron said, a hint of warning in his tone.

Hermione huffed in frustration as she noticed Victor take a step back and try to blend in with the wall. "Ron, I have been busy all day and will be busy later. I know it's your day off, but this has to wait."

"But Hermione, I—"

"I can't just drop everything and—"

"Yeah, yeah. You have new responsibilities and new commitments. New this, new that. When will— what is he doing here?" Ron's eyes finally landed on Victor in that moment and they narrowed in contempt.

Victor stepped up, looking highly uncomfortable, and extended his hand. "Hello again, Ron. Eet has been too long." Victor said. The friendly gesture was looked on with disdain and Ron stepped back without taking the proffered hand.

"Hermione, answer my question." Ron said, stills taring at Victor. The man in question put his hand down and stepped back.

"I can't tell you that, it is confidential." Hermione stated nervously. She could tell where this was going.

Ron spun around so his back was facing Victor and lowered his voice so only Hermione could hear. "You can't tell me, or you won't tell me?"

"You know what this position entails. You knew that when I crea—"

"When you created the branch, yeah I get it." Ron interrupted angrily. He stepped back and said, "I'll just wait for you over here."

Ron made to sit down at the table, but Hermione cut in. "Ron, no. This is top secret and you don't have the proper clearance." Her husband looked as though he was going to blow up if there hadn't been someone else in the room. "I promise we'll only be a few more minutes. I'll call you back in when we're done."

Not uttering a sound, Ron robotically nodded his head and stepped out the door. Hermione stared after him, unsure what his lack of response meant. He was always so jealous of anyone she talked to, especially Victor, because of their friendship. Some jealousies never died. Though she was beginning to wonder if Ron's jealousies stemmed from something a little more serious. She always assumed it was because he didn't get the attention he felt he deserved or wanted as a child because of all of his siblings, but this was getting ridiculous. She didn't even want to be around him anymore…

"Herminy?" Victor asked. Hermione came back to reality and focused back on the robust man in front of her. She shook her head as though to clear it and let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. Victor looked concerned. "Zat vas your husband, no?" he asked. Hermione nodded silently, still gazing at the door when he said, "We can do zis another time."

"No, it's okay, really." Hermione said. "Please, don't worry about it." She gave him a reassuring smile and racked her brain for a second to figure out where she left off before their interruption.

Hermione cleared her throat softly to gather her thoughts and began speaking, "Anyways, you're in a very unique position, as we have discussed previously. The whole world knows who you are because of your Quidditch days. We could have put you in a managerial position behind the scenes or scrapped you altogether, but one of my colleagues pointed out something very vital to me this morning. The fact that you are famous could be used to our advantage. We have no one in our group of spies that is in a position of wealth and power. You are in that position. While people may not see you in such a way, you are still able to attend all the events that these powerful men attend, simply because you play Quidditch for Bulgaria.

We have learned in the past war that the ones who had the most influence over weak minds, were those with money and power. Your duties will be different because you will not be given a secret identity. You will carry your own name and credentials and use you fame to your advantage. Gain the elite's secrets and their trust. In doing so, you give us the upper hand in all facets of society.

Now, this is much more dangerous for you, because you do not have a disguise. You will be yourself, and if anyone catches wind of your betrayal to the Ministry, your life could be in serious danger. If you don't want to accept, we understand. Just know that we will have to send you on your way after obliviating you."

Victor stood and listened to her every word in earnest. As soon as she was done speaking he replied, "I accept," without hesitation.

"You understand the consequences and everything this entails?" Hermione countered. She wanted to be sure this was something he absolutely wanted to commit himself to doing, since it would be much more difficult for him than the other spies. It would also require Hermione to pay a little more attention to his well-being, not that she minded…

Victor simply smiled and extended his hand for her to take. "Looks like ve're partners."

Smiling brightly, Hermione grasped his hand and shook it firmly before there was a loud knock on the door.

Hermione sighed in exasperation and frustration, since she knew it was Ron who was knocking impatiently. "I'll send you more information this week. The other's in your class of spies are currently in their makeover session, trying to match their new identities. Since this is something you don't need, you are free to go till the next class."

Victor nodded gratefully, happy that he wouldn't need to change his appearance for this new job. "I vill see you again soon, yes?"

Hermione smiled and replied, "Yes. Very soon. I'd like that."

Returning her smile, Victor handed her a pile of papers back to her that were sitting on the table, and then stared at the door disdainfully. In their letters, they never discussed Ron or any aspect of their love lives. Hermione still felt terrible about stopping her writing to him, but the slightly angry look on Victor's face told Hermione that he knew exactly why she had stopped.

He stepped out and bowed his head to Ron, who was impatiently waiting outside the door. As soon as Ron was through the threshold, Ron slammed the door shut and yelled, "What the bloody hell was that all about?"

"Ron, please—"

"Am I not enough for you Hermione? Why do you have to go behind my back? How could you not trust me?"

Immediately, Hermione's anger flared. "Excuse you, Ronald. This is not the time nor the place, and I can't believe you would accuse me of such things!" She slammed her papers down and shouted, "I work twice as much as you and, no offense, I have twice as much responsibility as you. I cannot be riddled with your jealousy every time you step through the damn door!"

Cringing away as thought wounded, Ron glared up at her and retaliated, "Oh, so you're telling me I'm being ridiculous when I come to your work and see you in an isolated room, alone with a guy you used to like? How am I supposed to interoperate that, Hermione?"

"Ron, please just hear me out."

He held up a frustrated hand. "You didn't let me finish what I was saying."

Hermione fell silent and waited for him to continue. Ron ground out angrily, "I don't know if I can even trust you at work. You're always here, it's like you're avoiding me. I come to see you and you're annoyed that I'm even here and I don't know what to do about it, not to mention Bloody Victor Krum is here AGAIN."

"Ronald, you know very well I haven't seen him since Bill and Fleur's wedding, what is your problem? Hermione retorted, just as heatedly.

"I'm not the one with the problem, Hermione!" Ron stated, throwing his hands up into the air. "I just wish our relationship wasn't so one-sided."

Hurt by his words that she wasn't putting any effort into their relationship, she remained silent. It was true that she had been spending a lot of time at work, but that was to be expected. A new ministerial branch was no laughing matter and required lots of hours to execute. He understood that going in—or at least she thought he did.

Hermione sighed sadly and said, "Ron, I'm sorry if I've made you feel this way, but I have more work to do. Go back to the shop and we'll talk more about this later."

"No, I don't think so." Ron said, turning away.

Hermione ground her teeth together. "You've changed since Harry disappeared."

Ron stopped in his tracks and nearly growled at her accusation. After a few seconds he ground out angrily. "I'm not going to argue with you. I'll see you at home, my lovely wife." He placed a soft, terse kiss on her cheek, and with that he turned on the spot and was out the door.

She stayed rooted to the spot for several minutes, breathing carefully as she tried to keep her nervous tears at bay. She normally didn't cry but the arguments were becoming more and more frequent, and she couldn't help but feel that it was her fault they were having problems. Yes, she was working a lot. Yes, she refused to change her name from Granger to Weasley. Yes, she had been speaking with Victor Krum, a boy she used to have a crush on, alone in an empty room. But she also felt that Ron only wanted to be with her and cooperated with her when it was convenient for him. Maybe, just maybe, she was avoiding Ron to avoid these confrontations. He didn't usually show up at her work. She even let him know she was introducing new recruits from another country today, but that's the only information she had given him—

Hermione jumped when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder. "V-Victor!" She exclaimed in surprise. She quickly wiped away at the few tears that had escaped and sniffed loudly before turning to face him. "I thought you had left already."

His dark eyes were shrouded with concern and worry for her. He gently wiped away a tear from her cheek and she froze. She had never been shown that kind of gentle kindness from anyone since Harry left. Harry had always treated her kindly; like family. Ron was always rough and demanding. The softness of Victor's gaze and touch was a bit startling at first, but she found herself lost in his eyes again. He leaned in and said, "I stayed behind, just in case." He paused briefly and said, "Are you okay?"

Hermione gave him a watery smile, preparing herself to speak, but couldn't find the words. She hung her head slightly and sniffed again, as Victor moved a clump of her hair from her face and wiped another tear. "Vill you haf lunch vith me?" Victor asked softly.

Wiping at her eyes, Hermione smiled and replied. "Yeah. I'd like that."

~Fleur~

Bill and Fleur were spending the weekend at Shell Cottage together with their daughter. She had been working secretly for Hermione for a while now, finding recruits and trustworthy candidates for the new branch of the ministry that Hermione had created.

Fleur couldn't help but be absolutely amazed at the sheer amount of work and dedication that woman had to her job. They knew that this frustrated Ron, but as far as they could see, he was extremely proud of her too. It was obvious whenever they were in public how much Ron adored his wife.

Honestly, Fleur didn't know how Hermione did it all. _Probably because they don't have children yet._ She thought, amused at picturing a bunch of little Ron's and Hermione's running around. She didn't know which was scarier: More little Rons or more little Hermiones. Both equally devastating.

Laughing to herself, she continued cleaning the kitchen of Shell Cottage as Victoire ate spoonsful of food in her high chair. The news of her father was devastating and often left Fleur in a blubbering mess, and Fleur found it exceedingly difficult to be away from her family for this amount of time, but watching her daughter brought her much needed happiness. Though something other than her father also weighed on her mind…

Bill walked into their cottage and planted a loving kiss on his wife and his daughter. Fleur smiled lovingly at Bill and yanked his hair and bit to lower him to her level. He smirked a bit and deepened the kiss appreciatively, squeezing her bum as he lowered. She giggled her amusement, and then sighed. "I need to run some errands for Hermione, Love." She told Bill. "Will you be able to hold the cottage down while I'm gone?"

Bill smiled knowingly and replied, "Of course, my Love."

Fleur was already dressed and ready to leave, though when she stepped out the door, she didn't apparate to the British Ministry. No, she ended up outside of St. Mungo's.

Drawing in a calming breath, Fleur marched in through the doors nervously and informed the receptionist of her appointment. She didn't wait long before she was escorted to a room by a few Healers and they began casting their diagnostic spells.

The healers read the runes with the utmost speed and precision and turned to her with a smile. "Congratulations, Mrs. Weasley." Fleur's heart nearly stopped as her breath caught in her throat.

She was soon traipsing back through the entryway of Shell Cottage and was enthusiastically greeted by her husband, who nearly swept her off her feet and drowned her in his love for her. All feelings of uncertainty and fear were promptly washed away at the loving scene that was presented to her in their house.

"How were your errands, Love?" Bill asked, waiting to hear about the rest of her day since she had left so soon.

Slowly she took his hand and led him into the living area. She glanced over to Victoire and confirmed that their daughter was satisfied and safe, playing on the ground with some toys. She sat her husband down and held onto his hands. "Bill, remember how a few weeks ago, I started getting really tired and…well…"

Bill cocked his head to the side in confusion before his eyes narrowed. "You didn't go to see Hermione, did you?" He asked.

Fleur's eyebrows rose. She was always so startled by his precision in knowing exactly what she was up to. Laughing bitterly, she replied, "No. I wasn't with Hermione. I went to the hospital."

Holding his breath momentarily, Bill asked, "To visit your father?"

Raising her eyebrows in surprise mild humor, she answered, "Actuallyyy, no." She turned to face him fully again and grasped onto his hands more firmly. Bill looked at her with confusion now, but waited patiently.

"Bill—" She began, took a deep breath and said. "I'm pregnant."

The man before her nearly froze in his seat and his jaw dropped. In that same instant a huge smile spread across his features and he jumped up excitedly with his wife in his arms. "Really?!" He shouted happily. "I get to be a dad again?!" He laughed as he spun Fleur around and she couldn't help but laugh at his contagious joy. She didn't know why she had been so nervous before. They already had a child, and the second would only grow their loving family even more. She couldn't have been happier.

At that thought there, was a furious tapping on the window in the kitchen. Bill gently lowered her to the ground and strode over to the window, excited bounces in his steps. Fleur giggled at his mannerisms and admired her husbands excited expression. However, his expression morphed into one of concern.

He raised his head from the parchment in his hand and withdrew his wand, while simultaneously picking up Victoire. Before Fleur could question, Bill said, "We need to get to the hospital. Your father woke up."


	20. Transmutation

Authors Note: Hello again everyone! Here is another chapter for you all! I do have to say I'm getting excited for the next few chapters that are coming up. I hope you get as excited as I do. I know this particular chapter is a bit shorter than what they have been recently, but it felt right to stop where I did.

This is another information heavy chapter so prepare yourselves. I hope I didn't repeat myself too much but it's imperative that this information gets across.

Let me know your thoughts and I appreciate the Reviews and DM's.

I'm still super busy so I'm hoping the next chapter will be out in a few weeks. Let me know where you think the story is headed in the interim!

Disclaimer: We do not own Harry Potter. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

~oOo~

Gabrielle was dragging Harry by the hand down the halls of the hospital much in the same way as when they visited Fleur and Bill's baby. However, today was different. She didn't have that joyous bounce in her step and every _click clack_ of her shoes echoing off the walls sent the couple further into their pit of anxiety.

They had received the owl about Pierre while they were with Nick, studying and refining the next elixir. Harry had immediately began applying his glamours as Gabrielle's voice rose steadily in pitch as she read the note aloud to the men in the room.

Soon after, they had both apparated and were tearing down the hallways to reach Pierre's private quarters.

In all honesty, Harry didn't know what to expect. Pierre had been asleep for so long; he was afraid of what his mental and physical state would be upon his awakening; or what the healers would have to say.

After what felt like forever, the couple finally arrived at the door. They gently knocked and were immediately admitted into the room. Apolline, Fleur, Bill, and a few healers were surrounding Pierre at his bedside as they entered the room. Pierre was awake, but barely. Harry could tell it was taking all of the man's efforts to stay awake.

The room fell silent as Gabrielle and Harry entered, causing them to pause briefly at the door before Gabrielle rushed in next to Pierre. The grief that showed on her face left Harry wishing he could do something.

"This is the rest of your family, no?" The lead Healer asked Apolline.

"Yes, they are family." Was all Apolline stated.

"Good, we shall get started then." The Healer began. Fleur moved over to Gabrielle and took her hand while Apolline took Pierre's. Harry went over to stand beside Bill as the women squared their shoulders to hear the news.

The Healer continued and addressed Pierre, who had remained silent upon their arrival. "Monsieur, I am sorry to inform you that this illness has completely taken over your body and your magic. There is nothing else we can do." There was a strangled sob from Apolline.

"I wish we could do more, but we can't detect anything that is wrong. Your only options at this point are to go to the comfort of your own home or stay here." The Healer paused briefly before she said, "I'm sorry. I'll leave you with your family to discuss."

When the healers left the room, Harry heard Gabrielle faintly whisper, "Papa, no." as tears streamed down her angelic face. The girls were crying at Pierre's bedside while Harry and Bill looked on the scene sadly. Pierre managed to smile and gently brush Apolline's tears from her cheeks.

"Please don't be sad, mon amour." Pierre said softly. His labored breathing seemed to be absorbed in the walls of the small room before he said, "At least now we know." He paused again as he saw Fleur shaking her head near frantic, her bottom lip quivering slightly.

Pierre turned to his eldest daughter and touched her cheek. "I am so proud of you all." His eyes began to flutter shut again as though he couldn't keep himself awake.

Fleur grasped onto his hand desperately, "Papa, please. You can't give up. You have to keep fighting this."

Smiling sadly, Pierre replied, "Fleur, you know I am not one to give up."

At this, Gabrielle interrupted Pierre and said, "Bernie has another potion in the works and it's almost done." Harry could tell Gabrielle was sounding desperate. She had the same expression on her face as Fleur.

"Yes." Pierre said solemnly. "But you girls have to promise me that if the potion doesn't work, you have to let me go. Whatever happens, happens."

Silence followed and the air was thick. No one spoke anything for a few short minutes and no one wanted to be the first to break the silence.

What felt like no time at all and an eternity later, they heard a rasping knock on the door to Pierre's ward.

In walked a gentleman dressed in robes of French ministry attire. Harry immediately recognized him as being one of the top members of the French ministry from the public meeting he had attended a while back.

The man was alone and stood by the door, waiting for the approval to step forward. Fleur and Gabrielle exchanged worried looks with each other as Apolline stood up cautiously to address the man.

Apolline was the first to speak. "What can I do for you, Monsignor Barreau?"

Pierre, who was miraculously still awake, held up his hand to his wife and beckoned Barreau forward. "Do you have the papers, Christophe?

He summoned the papers from the inside of his ministry robes and placed them on the table at the foot of his bed. "All here, Minister."

An appalled look overcame Apolline's face. "You cannot be serious?" Her eyes were full of concern and worry.

"My dear, I may not have a choice." Pierre said.

"What's going on?" Harry asked from his corne. He stole a glance at Bill from the corner of his eye and saw his expression reflected in the red head's eyes.

Pierre just sighed. "I have been sick for far too long and have been putting my ministerial duties on hold." *Breath* "We have no idea if I will ever recover from this" *breath* "and it is not fair to the people of this country to suffer on my behalf." He took another longer and steadying breath and continued. "I asked Christophe to bring me the papers so I may think of this decision."

"Papa, there has to be another way." Gabrielle stated, standing up. Her hair turned that sickening shade of grey Harry wished to never see again. She was angry. "You said you would never give up! We have the potion almost ready and—"

"I never said I was giving up." Pierre said sadly. Another shaky breath… "But I cannot go on not doing my job. This is not an easy decision."

Gabrielle huffed at his words. "No. It just sounds like you've thrown it all away already."

"Gabrielle!" Apolline said, though not much anger or emotion backed her statement.

"No mama, he's not even going to fight this! You've been around to see Fleur and Bill get married and have a child but what about me?! You won't be around for any of it if you give up!" Gabrielle was on the verge of tears again and Harry quietly stepped forward to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, which she promptly brushed off in her anger. Her eyes were a steel grey now with signs of her elongated nose. "You won't be there for any of it!"

"Gabrielle—"

"No, papa!" Gabrielle turned around and started for the door. "I won't watch you throw your life away and choose to deteriorate."

In her anger, she slammed the door of the room.

A single tear slid down Pierre's face at her harsh words and a Healer came in almost immediately to check his vitals with a diagnostic spell.

"Jake—" Pierre choked out, silently pleading with him to follow his youngest daughter.

Harry's foot was already out the door when Pierre uttered his pseudonym. Before he knew where he was going, Harry was tearing through the hallways of the hospital, asking healers and mediwitches and wizards if they saw Gabrielle and where she ran off to. He eventually found himself at the front desk and asked the receptionist if she had seen her.

"There was a girl that left out the door a few seconds ago. She's since disapparated though."

Growling in frustration, Harry bound off in the direction of the door and came up with a plan. He first apparated to their flat and checked there.

Empty.

Next he apparated to the mansion and checked every room. Harry even asked the house elves if they had seen her, to which they replied they didn't feel a disturbance with the wards of the house.

Empty again.

Running in desperation, he ran through all the dirt pathways of Apollo Gardens, hoping against hope that he would find her tucked away in some plants and flowers. He questioned the workers if they'd seen her, to no avail.

Failure again.

Trying hard not to panic and slightly angry for her disappearance at the hospital, he apparated to the only other place he could think of. _Why wouldn't she want to spend time with him while he's still here? Surly she wouldn't want those words to be the last thing he hears?_

Harry's feet landed hard on the pathway that led up to Bernie's Apothecary and strode in, heading straight for Nick's office.

The office was empty without a trace of either Nick or Gabrielle. Harry's shoulders fell at the empty room when he heard Nick's gruff voice behind him.

"She's in the Alchemy lab."

Harry spun around and saw Nick with a concerned expression on his face. His eyebrows were raised and pinched together as he took in Harry's haggard appearance.

Without a second thought, Harry opened up the secret entrance and simultaneously disbanded his glamour charms as he descended into the Alchemy chamber.

He didn't make a sound as he rounded the corner in search of his girlfriend. He heard a soft sniffling resound through the room and found her, seated at one of the plush armchairs by the bookcase.

Harry slowed his steps and pushed his hair out of his eyes as he bent down at the knees and rested his arms on the arm of the chair that she occupied. Gabrielle had her face covered, but she moved a bit when he bent down, so he knew she knew he was there.

He stayed silent, allowing her to cry into her hands before he gently placed his hand on her knee and stroked it with his thumb comfortingly. Her hair and features were back to normal so Harry deemed it safe to touch her.

Even though her outburst annoyed him slightly, he stayed silent as she cried. Her sobs finally receded enough for her to look at him and her cheeks immediately turned pink. "I'm sorry." She muttered. "I don't know what came over me."

Squeezing gently, Harry placed his chin on her knee where his hands met and didn't say a word. Now wasn't the time to fill the air with his voice. That would come later.

Gabrielle thread her fingers through his hair and held onto him as though to ground herself. She looked down to Harry, on his knees in front of her, and her eyes welled up with tears again. "I shouldn't have left."

At her words, Harry sat back slowly, took her hands out of his hair and held them to his mouth, kissing the backs gently. They were shaking.

"I just—" Gabrielle began. "I'm closest to Papa. I don't know what I'd do if he died. It's like he wants to leave us behind."

Prompted by her words, Harry removed her hands from his lips and said, "He doesn't want to leave you. No father wants to leave their family."

Nodding her head, Gabrielle had silent tears rolling down her cheeks again, but Harry continued. "He's trying to prepare for a future without him, just in case. He's not one to simply succumb to whatever is eating away at his magic and health."

Gabrielle sniffed loudly before Harry continued, "We'll deal with the worst if it happens. Besides, we have Nicholas Flamel on our sides and this new potion is almost done. Don't give up on him. And don't give up on your father either."

Stiffly nodding, Gabrielle stood up from her seat and gave Harry a chaste kiss on the cheek. "I need to go back."

Harry nodded and led her out the Apothecary door to apparate back to the hospital.

~oOo~

Harry and Gabrielle were back in the Alchemy room at the Apothecary, staring over the vast number of textbooks that Nick had in his stores. Things had calmed down quite a bit since the hospital visit because all they could do was wait.

Pierre had been given the go-ahead to return to the comfort of his home to wait out this illness, so the rest of them tried to occupy themselves with other things till something of significance happened. He got neither better nor worse, would wake up at odd times of the day and night only to fall asleep again after an hour or two, and his magic seemed to be completely depleted; not even a backfire. He couldn't even feel the magic thrumming through him when he held his wand.

Gabrielle had since apologized for her outburst at the hospital and came to terms with what was happening. She visited with Pierre every morning and evening, worked in the gardens, then came home to their flat trying to follow their routine as best they could.

She was in a better mood than she had been leading up to Pierre's hospitalization, and began actively studying Alchemy with Harry again as a distraction.

A major part of Alchemy, they were learning, was that Elixirs were the easy part. It was everything else concerning Alchemy that was difficult. While Harry had been helping create the new and improved elixir with Nick, the man in question believed it was time to start learning true alchemical conversions.

The elixirs were easy because everything was confined in a small space, such as their cauldron and only required a few materials. They now moved to one of the larger rooms to the side with all the materials needed for their conversions, ranging from stone, dirt, torches for fire, a seemingly endless pool of water, and other materials that Harry didn't even know the names of.

When they entered, Nick had levitated a small stone into the center of the room and was seated across from them with a blackboard. A few alchemical symbols were drawn with chalk. Still levitating the chalk, Nick began writing more on the blackboard as he gestured the two of them to sit down.

"We'll start off easy today." Nick said, pulling up his own chair and sitting down. The blackboard now read _Comprehension, Deconstruction, Reconstruction._ Right beneath those words read _Equivalent Exchange._

"Before I even let you attempt to do an alchemical conversion outside of an elixir, there are some very important things that we need to go over first." Nick said, gesturing to the information written on the board. "We've already started our understanding of the first step and hopefully most of this will be review for you. Step one: Comprehension. You have been studying the elements from that muggle textbook, yes?"

Harry and Gabrielle both looked at each other and nodded. They had spent hours together quizzing each other after finding out they would be learning alchemy. They pretty much had it memorized at this point.

Inclining his head in approval, Nick continued. "Very well. Take note of these steps here. We will begin on something easy, such as this rock." He gestured to the rock set before them. "You must be able to _comprehend_ what is in front of you. That is, you must be able to identify what is in front of you and what properties make up the materials, including the energies that flow through it."

The couple were furiously writing down their notes as Nick talked.

"Second, during an actual transmutation, you must be able to fully _deconstruct_ the object into its basic elements using the alchemical runes that I've written above. This makes it malleable to shape into a new form. Harry, you have been doing this from the beginning without even realizing it. You even did it for Pierre's potion, which is a feat in of itself. I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed."

Harry beamed at the praise he received and at the proud smile Gabrielle gave him.

"Now it's just getting you to understand the theory part of it, which is admittedly just as challenging." Nick cleared his throat and continued. "After the deconstruction of the material is when you continue the flow of energy to take on the new shape. This is where your transfiguration comes into play to _reconstruct_ the materials into something else."

Nick moved over to the rock and gestured for them to watch closely. He took out his wand and drew the runes in their intricate forms on the stone while muttering the incantations. A bright flash of red light and the rock was no longer a regular rock. Now, a small pile of shining crystals lay before them.

"That was a very basic transmutation. The incantation is just the rune you use to cast." Picking up the crystals, Nick handed them over to Harry and Gabrielle for a closer look. "Now the most important rule you will ever learn is—"

"The law of equivalent exchange." Gabrielle said as she observed the crystals in her hand.

"Precisely." Nick said with a small smile. "You cannot create from nothing. And you cannot take away what is not there either. In the same vein, you do not fully eliminate what is before you, as it must be of the same elemental makeup. They must be of the same materials and contain the same attributes. If you do not adhere to these rules, the conversion will take from the elements around it to make up for what it lacks. Oftentimes, everything works out, but there have been times in our long history when—" Nick paused for a second. "When the transmutation lashes out."

Harry could feel the hesitation in Nick's voice, but didn't say anything. He understood the implications and was going over his notes when he realized Nick had set up two rocks the size of their heads on the ground before them.

The couple stood from their seats and raised their wands. They followed Nick's directions exactly, tracing out the runes while chanting the incantations. Their stones both glowed bright red and then revealed a small pile of crystals almost equivalent to Nick's.

Nick clapped near the side of the room and chuckled to himself. "Congratulations you two." He said happily. "You have both successfully completed a full-blown alchemical transmutation."

Ecstatic with their feat, Harry and Gabrielle looked to each other happily before bending down to pick up their crystals. Harry was just happy that their work was successful, while Gabrielle turned thoughtful.

Nick noticed this subtle change and asked, "What's on your mind?"

Gabrielle bit her bottom lip. "I guess I'm just wondering…what really is the difference between alchemy and transfiguration? Why not just transfigure the materials and call it a day?"

Stopping in his tracks, Harry turned around to hear Nick's explanation. "Very good observation, my dear." Nick praised. "Transfiguration, while a very difficult and formidable branch of magic, is all smoke and mirrors. Nothing is permanent. Anything you cast will eventually go back to its original state. Take the spell, _Avirfors_. A rock will never be alive. We are under the allusion that a rock has been transformed into a bird. Or _Vera Verto_. Even though you have a goblet in front of you doesn't mean that it's not still living because it's still an animal you hold in your hand. The difficulty of the spell and the complexity of the objects used usually plays a role in how long the spell lasts.

However, with Alchemy, you physically change the makeup of the object. Once you change it, it will remain that way forever unless transmuted again.

Remember, Alchemy's primary goal is the creation of the Philosophers Stone and the purification of the soul." Nick explained.

Gabrielle still remined thoughtful, which drove Harry mad with curiosity. She always had the best insight into these sorts of things.

They all remained silent while Gabrielle gathered her thoughts. After a minute or so Gabrielle voiced her thoughts aloud. "So, in theory, if I draw an alchemical rune with my wand, I could transmute anything?"

Scratching the side of his jaw, Nick said, "In theory, yes." He looked curious at the direction the conversation was heading. "But you must be completely aware of every single element in your environment."

"So, in theory, if I were to be in a battle, I could transmute the ground at their feet into a pit of jagged crystals? Has anyone ever used Alchemy in battle before?" Gabrielle questioned.

Sighing more out of thought than in frustration, Nick furrowed his brows together. "Like I said before, it's theoretically possible. Alchemy is different than what we consider to be 'normal' magic because it is neither light nor dark magic. It falls more in a neutral category, while containing elements of both light and dark. Which means it is also theoretically possible to counteract the effects of light and dark magic with Alchemy. However, I can tell you now, that it's never been attempted. Too many things could go wrong. You would need a Philosopher's Stone of your own in order to have full and complete control."

"Have you ever tried it?" Gabrielle asked with wide and curious eyes. Harry stepped in closer to hear his answer with full clarity. It made him uneasy at the thought that Alchemy was part of Dark Magic, but maybe Nick had another explanation. "I mean, you've lived through almost every war, surely it's crossed your mind."

"Uhmm…" Nick cleared his throat, looking unsure of himself. "My wife and I attempted something of the sort…a long time ago…"

He fell silent and started fiddling with his wedding band. Harry couldn't help himself. "What happened to Perenelle?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Nick ruffled his hair a bit before answering, "She died." He cleared his throat uncomfortably again and mumbled, "…was killed."

Nick looked about the room, obviously wishing they would change the subject while Gabrielle nodded her head in understanding. Harry on the other hand was dead curious, but he could tell this particular conversation wasn't going to happen. Or Nick wasn't ready to talk about it yet. Something gave Harry the feeling that Nick had witnessed her death. No one gets shaken up like that and showed that much pain on their face unless they had been a part of something horrible…

It was Gabrielle's turn to clear her throat. "So, what is it like being over 600 years old?"

A hearty laugh escaped Nick as he glanced up through his lashes to look at the pair in front of him. "Don't get me started."

~oOo~

Harry and Gabrielle walked hand in hand in the gardens as they made their way up to Delacour mansion. The simple joys of an afternoon stroll had set their anxieties to rest for the time being. There had been a few more attacks throughout Wizarding Paris and they agreed not to venture out too far that week. Since Pierre was indisposed, the minister couldn't do anything about it.

However, the attacks did push Pierre's decision forward.

They were expecting some of the ministry officials to stop by later that day, and Harry and Gabrielle were left in charge of letting them in through the gates when they arrived.

Not straying too far, they kept up an easy conversation, talking about all the events that led up to that particular moment.

"What do you hope for the future, though?" Harry asked Gabrielle conversationally. "Other than eventually becoming a Healer or taking over the gardens?"

Gabrielle laughed at his comment. "Honestly, I don't know what I want to do anymore. I know being a Healer is a noble profession, but I don't think I've got it in me after what we saw. And I don't think I could take running the gardens by myself. I see it more as a hobby, and I don't want to ruin what I enjoy by turning it into work."

Now it was Harry's turn to laugh. "Okay, putting all that aside, what do you want out of life?"

She squinted her eyes and countered, "You first!"

"Now that's hardly fair." Harry sighed and looked down at his feet as they walked. "Honestly, I want a quiet life. I want a family; a wife and a house to call my own and maybe some kids—" He paused briefly. "I know I definitely don't want to lose anyone dear to me for a very long time and I definitely don't want to be apart of another war."

Squeezing his hand gently, Gabrielle giggled a bit before she replied to his question. "I would say that's pretty close to what I want as well. I've never thought about getting married honestly. I had spent my whole life being careful around men that I didn't think anyone would ever like me for me." She huffed air out of her nose amusedly and continued, "These past two years have felt like a dream."

Harry nearly stopped in his tracks. "Two years? Has it been two years already?"

"Nearly," Gabrielle said, turning around and walking backwards as she held onto his hands and swaying them back and forth. "It _is_ April."

"Holy shit." Harry replied. _Two years already, huh?_ It shocked him, because usually he kept track of his time through how many years had passed since the final battle. While that was still a major factor in his mind, he was happy to see that Gabrielle had blurred those lines a bit.

Gabrielle had turned back around, but was now ahead of him with a slight bounce to her step. Harry's features softened as he gazed at her, her long golden hair swishing with each sway.

"I love you." He said.

"And I love you, _Jake_." She replied, winking as she jumped up onto one of the ledges and continued her sauntering walk.

Chuckling, Harry gave her bottom a light smack that made it jiggle deliciously when they felt the wave of magic from the wards. _Of course, perfect timing._ Harry thought, annoyed.

They permitted the Ministry officials, four of them, to come into the gardens and the mansion, and led the group to the drawing room where Harry first witnessed the draining effects of Pierre's illness.

The current Minister of Magic for France was seated as best he could at one of the chairs, while Apolline stood behind him, discreetly trying to hold him up in the chair. The officials stopped in their tracks and stammered, "Minister?"

Pierre held up his hand and gestured them to enter. The men looked disturbed at the scene before them. One of the men seemed to finally find his voice and spoke up. "We knew you were sick, but didn't know to what extent." The men glanced around them and their eyes fell on Gabrielle and Apolline, while a look of sadness seemed to steal over them as a whole.

Deciding to get right to business, Pierre spoke, "I have made my decision.

Christophe Barreau will take my place as Minister of Magic for France, as he is rightfully next in line to take over my duties in the case of an emergency."

The men nodded, though they were hesitant. The man farthest to the right of the group said, "Minister, the people adore you. Surely, there is anoth—"

"There is no other way." Pierre interrupted. "I foresee that I will not be getting better any time soon. The country must be run with or without me, and I am unable to do my duties. Honestly I'd rather spend the days that I have left with my family and know that the country is in good hands."

Harry pursed his lips together at his statement as he watched the officials nod their head in silent understanding. _Merlin, I hope this next elixir works…_

The official in the middle of the group stepped forward and produced a scroll with his wand. The scroll opened and presented itself in front of Pierre and glowed blue as the man said, "Then by the order of decree number 497, in the case of a medical or national emergency and the need of a new minister arises, we hereby receive approval from the current Minister of Magic for France, to appoint Christophe Barreau as the new Minister. Our allied countries will be notified of this change immediately. Do you wish to accept?"

"I approve and accept." Pierre said, scribbling his name on the scroll with his wand, held up by Apolline.

Harry heard that Gabrielle was starting to breath harder in her frustration that Pierre was giving up his job as Minister, right before her eyes, but she remained silent.

"Very well." The man bearing the scroll said, before he magicked the parchment away. "We will notify you when the change is complete. The new minister is usually compelled to give a speech. Would you-?

"Jake here, will attend in my stead."

Harry momentarily forgot that Pierre was referring to him, when Gabrielle elbowed him painfully in the ribs to remind him that he wasn't Harry at the moment. He jolted to attention and agreed immediately to attend the first official meeting of the new Minister.

Pierre nodded his thanks and sent the group of officials on their way, all of them looking uneasy at the sight of the deteriorating form of their, now previous, minister.

~oOo~

Not long had passed before news of the official resignation of Pierre reached the eyes and ears of the public. The news was having a heyday with the articles they were printing, as there was no official reason given as to why Pierre had resigned.

He was still bedridden most days and hadn't woken up until the middle of the night after he signed the papers to resign.

The entire country seemed to be in a state of shock. They had followed Pierre all through the war with Voldemort and trusted him implicitly. They weren't as familiar with Christophe, but were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Sure enough, when Harry arrived to the official first meeting and inauguration of the new Minister, the public was there more out of curiosity than anything.

Scanning the crowd, Harry finally found the person he was looking for. Nick was standing not far from the back entrance, and Harry was immediately grateful that he had thought to meet him there.

"Hello, Bernie." Harry greeted him.

"Jake." Nick greeted, inclining his head. The men both stood with their hands in their pockets as they observed the people in the room, not uttering a sound.

Every once in a while, Nick would shake his head. When Harry gave him a questioning look Nick replied, "I swear these fuckers get dumber and dumber with each passing century."

Harry chuckled under his breath, but was promptly cut off by the entrance of the same ministry officials he had seen at the mansion, and Christophe. This was it.

Taking in a deep breath, Harry sighed at the sight and was glad Gabrielle decided to stay home.

The men took their seats and one of the officials stood up and addressed the crowd. "We are pleased to welcome you again to the French Ministry of Magic. We are here to welcome—"

Harry tuned out the rest of the official's words. He was bored of the introductions and just wanted the speech to start. Nick gave him the same look and they chuckled at Nick's horrible reenactment of the man who was now speaking.

Finally, Christophe stepped forward. The reporters at the front were poised with their Quick Quotes Quills while photographers snapped photo after photo as Christophe took the stand.

"I'm not sure I like the looks of this guy." Nick whispered next to Harry.

"Okay, so you have that feeling too?" Harry asked, surprised. "I thought I was going insane."

"When you're as old as I am, you learn to trust your gut."

The pair were silenced at the clearing of Christophe's throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I stand before you, humbled and grateful to you for accepting me into this new role as your Minister of Magic. It is with great sadness in our hearts that we say goodbye to our wonderful leader of so many years, Minister Pierre Delacour.

But we must also remember that, in order to move forward, we must not look back. Yes, we should learn from our past and from our history, but we cannot dwell in the everlasting suffering of our former lives.

It is time to start anew and be reborn from the ashes like the great and noble phoenix. For too long, the people of France and of other nations have suffered under the villainous hands of a tyrant, rampant for blood and destruction. When we, as the people, finally believed to be free from this tyranny, we are once again forced into a state of fear by an unknown threat.

This is unacceptable. I as your minister will not allow this to continue. I hereby give the power to you. For only you, the people of France, can rally against violence. For we are a proud nation who will rise from the ashes of treachery to forge our way to greatness.

I am saddened to know that my people are still suffering, as was Minister Delacour. But I know, together, we will overcome. Together, we will become stronger. Together, we will rise. Thank you"

A polite applause and murmurs of agreement and surprise filled the room as the new Minister took his seat in the middle of the other officials.

Harry glanced quickly over to Nick, who was giving off a very odd and curious look. "What is it-?" Harry asked.

Shaking his head slightly and crossing his arms, bringing his hand to his chin, Nick said, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was more to that speech than meets the eye."

"What makes you say that?" Harry whispered.

"The mere fact that he mentioned that he doesn't want anyone to dwell on the past doesn't sit right with me." Nick said. "I need my book."

Authors Note 2: I realize this was a very "Pierre and his illness" heavy chapter. I promise we're getting away from that, but certain things have to happen in order to progress properly.

Also, if anyone is will to help me out and be a sort of Beta for me, that would be AMAZING! I really need help getting the first 7 chapters to flow better and I don't have the time to edit them fully like I want. Any of the other chapters too for that matter. I've never had a Beta before so I'm not exactly sure how it works. Thanks again. I love you all!


	21. A New Hope

Author's Note: Hello again! Thank you so much for being so patient with the random posting schedule and for the wonderful reviews! I really appreciate all of you!

As a fair warning, I did not edit or reread this chapter so if there are errors and incongruency, I do apologize. I promise I'll get them fixed eventually. If something doesn't flow well, I am aware that there are probably some problems, so please bear with me.

Next, I'd like to know your opinions. I wasn't planning on doing any excessive Ron bashing in this fic, however, with the plot that I've had planned it could easily be done. I want to know what you want to see as far as Ron, whether you'd like bashing or non-bashing, because I could go either way.

Lastly, in the scene in Nick's POV, there is a specific song that I listen to for that scene and I want you all to listen to it. It inspired that scene entirely. PLEASE LISTEN TO IT BEFORE YOU READ THAT SCENE. It's called _Leta's Theme (Piano Solo)_ from _The Crimes of Grindelwald_ soundtrack. It's amazing and heart wrenching. If you want to know what goes through my head and what happens at what part of the song, please let me know. A large portion of this fic is song driven, especially toward the mid-end range. I don't know if any of you listen to the songs I put here, but they serve as my inspiration and are important in the creation of this fic.

Again, please let me know your thoughts in reviews. I appreciate all of you, your patience, and your kind words.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter. I do not. Happy reading!

~oOo~

After the ministerial meeting had adjourned, Nick led Harry immediately away to the apothecary and into his office. In his urgency, Nick didn't close the door and left Harry to the task. When he turned around, Nick's face was already hidden by the large tome, and Harry peered at him curiously. He had only seen Nick like this with his book once before, and kept quiet as the older man's eyes darted around the fragile pages.

"Uhm, Nick?" Harry questioned. "What exactly are you looking for?"

Without so much as a glance, Nick gruffed out, "Patterns." Flipping to another section of the book, he stopped and scanned its contents before moving to another. "Come." Nick commanded, his eyes never leaving the page.

Harry walked around the office to stand directly behind Nick as he glided the book into Harry's arms. Pointing vigorously at a section of the words written within, Nick said, "I've seen this before."

Doing as instructed, Harry was also scanning the contents of the page. Written out in old red ink, was a speech from a former leader of the wizarding world. He read the page quickly and turned around to see Nick putting a memory into his pensive that he had extracted from under his desk.

When Nick was finished with the memory and Harry was done reading, he took the volume back and placed it on his desk, opened up another page, and scanned through that as well. He shook his head as though his thoughts were confirmed, shoved the pages in front of Harry to read once more, and then delved into his pensive.

Unsure of what he was doing exactly, Harry read the contents that were once again placed before him. Right away, Harry noticed the similarities: each speech before him spoke of changes of grandeur, promises to the people, and an awareness of a supposed threat against them. The words before him were so eerily similar that it was no wonder Nick was suspicious.

Nick emerged from the pensive with a worried expression that marred his features. Harry scrunched his brows together in a look of bewildered confusion, questioning Nick with his gaze. In response, Nick picked the book back up and began to write.

Knowing better than to interrupt, Harry waited patiently and occasionally glanced over to try and peek at what he was writing. After a few paragraphs, Nick stopped, stared straight ahead for a few seconds, and then delved back into the pensive.

Harry slowly made his way to the desk and bent over to read the page. Nick had been writing down the new minister's speech word for word.

When Nick emerged once again from the stone basin of the Pensive, he began writing again.

Again, Harry waited till he finished and didn't speak till Nick leaned back in his chair and breathed out a relieved breath of exasperation. Relief from being bent over and writing as fast as he could; exasperation from its contents.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Harry queried. Nick snorted softly through his nose as though his question was obvious.

"There are definitely some similarities. The biggest one being this promise of a new regime."

Harry's brows furrowed together in confusion. "What do you mean? He didn't say that."

"Maybe not explicitly. Look." Nick pointed to a section of the words written down from the speech.

 _It is time to start anew and be reborn from the ashes like the great and noble phoenix. For too long, the people of France and of other nations have suffered under the villainous hands of a tyrant, rampant for blood and destruction. When we, as the people, finally believed to be free from this tyranny, we are once again forced into a state of fear by an unknown threat._

 _This is unacceptable. I, as your minister, will not allow this to continue. I hereby give the power to you. For only you, the people of France, can rally against violence. For we are a proud nation who will rise from the ashes of treachery to forge our way to greatness._

"That right there is all the evidence we need." Nick stated, as though it were obvious.

Harry read through the page again and frowned. He was beginning to see where Nick was coming from in this regard.

Before Harry could comment, Nick continued. "It's not as though we have another dark lord running around like we did with Grindelwald and Voldemort. He made it sound as though we are still suffering under their hands. Pierre's time as Minister was one of the best and he turned around and made it seem like he wasn't doing his job to protect them." Shaking his head, Nick scanned the book one more time before closing it and walking over to the wall to shelve it. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say he's slowly using some sort of scare tactic to make everyone feel helpless, so they cling to him as minister."

"And therefore, giving him more power." Harry stated. "It's also not as though France is starting from ground zero as well. I mean, 'Rise from the ashes like the phoenix' _?_

"Exactly." Nick nodded his head in approval and sighed.

After a brief pause, Harry asked, "So, why compare this speech to the others you've written down?"

Nick contemplated his question for a moment before answering, "History never repeats itself, but it often rhymes."

The weight of Nick's words fell like a blanket on Harry, making him feel uneasy for the slightest second before Nick rubbed his hands together and said, "Well, we best be getting back to Pierre to let him know how it went."

~oOo~

After what felt like a long time, Harry and Gabrielle leisurely walked hand in hand down the square of wizarding Paris. The new minister had not made an appearance since his speech and Pierre was still bedridden and showing no signs of improvement: just a constant state of tiredness, hovering between lucidity and death.

The stress was taking its toll on the Delacour family, but they decided to keep living their lives normally as best they could, at Pierre's brief request.

Hence, the couple took their time, enjoying each other's company. Harry was happy to see that Gabrielle was finally smiling regularly since Pierre was hospitalized, and he vowed to take advantage of it.

They stopped and ate at a small café, stocked up on their supplies of parchment and quills, purchased a few new robes for work and lounging, replaced a few of their personal potions and alchemy stores, and eventually made their way to their ice cream shop. This particular shop had become a sort of tradition for them since the first time they had visited, and fully took advantage of the seats outside to eat their treats.

Harry leaned over and gave Gabrielle a kiss on the cheek, and smiled lovingly when she blushed at his display of affection. She returned the gesture by pushing against him on his shoulder with hers.

In all honesty, Harry had shocked himself today. As they were wandering the streets of wizarding Paris, they had dodged a group of children playing with the exploding balloons that floated in the air from the party shop, and detoured to the front of a jewelry store. Gabrielle was not the one to stop at the store front, however.

Unable to help himself, Harry began scanning the contents of the front window in search of something. What that was he wasn't sure, but he was drawn to the shining rings when his heart skipped a beat. Within the subconsciousness of his mind, he was thinking of proposing; something he had vowed to not think of again since the fiasco with Ginny. The thought scared him, yet the idea of Gabrielle as his wife made his heart race in anticipation and a happiness and warmness he never thought he'd be able to feel again spread throughout the depths of his chest.

This simple realization left Harry in a state of wonderment: did he really want to marry her, or was he just tired of being alone? If he were to marry, he wanted it for the right reasons. While there was no doubt in his mind that he loved her unconditionally, was that enough? Was he allowed to be this happy? After everything that had happened?

And so, the mystery and inner turmoil played through Harry's thoughts as he gazed into Gabrielle's crystal blue eyes for the hundredth time that day. The familiar warmth spread through him again and he reached over to grasp her hand as they stood up to walk.

Perhaps she and her family would reject him like the Weasley's did…Or perhaps they would accept him…

"Is everything okay?" asked Gabrielle as they threw away their dishes. "You seem a bit distracted."

Harry laughed nervously and answered, "Nothing, really." He bent down and kissed the top of her head.

When he looked at her again, her eyes were narrowed, but she didn't say anything more. Instead, she changed the subject. "So, what else would you like to do today?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure, honestly. I was going to help Ni—erh—Bernie finish the potion today and then we can apparate to the Manor afterwards. Until then, I don't exactly know." Harry looked around at the people surrounding them on the square. Confident that no one was paying attention to them, he paused.

"Hey, Gabrielle?" Harry asked, slowing down his pace a bit.

"Yes, Jake?" Gabrielle replied.

Harry completely stopped his walking down the square. "Have you noticed anything…different lately?"

Now Gabrielle looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean—" Harry lowered his voice and glanced around them. "have you heard of any recent attacks? Or seen any for that matter?"

Scrunching her eyebrows together, Gabrielle copied Harry's gazes and glanced around them. "Huh," she turned back to face him. "I guess you're right. We haven't seen or heard anyone this entire time."

The couple started walking again as the wheels in Harry's head started turning. _Odd that everything suddenly stops. Maybe it's just a good day._ Harry thought. _Then again, Nick seemed awfully concerned…_

"Is this what's gotten you so distracted?" Gabrielle asked, bringing up the topic once more.

Harry vowed to never lie to her again, so he tried his best to evade the question. "It's one of the things, honestly. I've got lots of things on my mind."

"Care to humor me?" She pushed into his side with her elbow again and giggled girlishly at the sight of Harry's reddening cheeks.

"Leeeeeeet's see," Harry started dramatically. "I've got potions and elixirs," he raised the back of his hand to his forehead and feigned a fainting motion. He peeked from squinted eyes to see her mimicry of his exhaustion in a dramatic sigh. "the fact that every man stares at you, and not to mention the elixir that's brewing at the shop for Pierre. Oh, and let's not forget the fact that I want to be around you and shag you every chance I've got." He ticked off each "item" on his list with his fingers as he went.

At this playful statement, he bent down and kissed her on the lips, furthering his desire from the outburst of her Veela appeal.

Now, Gabrielle was laughing and quickly separated herself from him and clasped his hand in hers. "Well, we can't do that because you do have to go help Bernie with the potion." She pecked him on the cheek and continued walking away in her sultry fashion, causing more stares in her direction. One man completely stopped, to which Harry strode right up next to her with his arm around her waist. "A man can dream." Was his only reply.

Harry had to agree with himself on this point: even though he didn't get to shag her constantly like he often daydreamed about, especially with the declining health of her father, he had to admit that spending time with her in this way, and the small moments they shared were quickly turning into the moments that he cherished even more. He was just happy to see her smile again, even if the air felt tense at times.

"You are right though." Harry said after a brief silence.

"Excuse me, what was that?" Gabrielle asked playfully.

Harry narrowed his eyes, equally as playful. "I said you're right about—"

"You can say THAT louder." Her shoulder's shook from her musical laughter and Harry smirked at her teasing.

"I only meant I need to go help Bernie with the elixir. It should be finished today."

"You go and do that, my dear." Gabrielle said. "In the meantime, I'm going to be writing down this moment in history as the day that I was right and you admitted to it." She spun around in a graceful twirl as she giggled mischievously on his behalf.

Harry smiled and grabbed her hand again. He knew that deep down, even though she wasn't outwardly showing it at that second, that she was nervous about today. About the possibility that they could find out if Pierre would live or not. Yet here she was, smiling and laughing through her nervousness, pretending that nothing was wrong and trying to forget that she had been spending sleepless nights at the mansion instead of their flat.

It was times like this that Harry truly admired her strength. He only wished he could help her more than what he was doing at the moment, and also desperately wanted to keep her in his arms every night. When he went to the Apothecary to meet Nick, he only hoped the elixir would be enough.

~Nicholas Flamel~

Nick found himself at his desk in the office of his apothecary trying to do some more alchemy research. Usually, he could keep his mind occupied with the papers and books that littered his desk and bookcase as he scanned each object for answers to his problems. Over the centuries, knowledge and information and research had always been enough to satisfy his busy mind. He would pour over books and scrolls, writing in his notebooks to try out the latest spell or elixir. His excitement for life and the years ahead were always enough to push him forward.

However, today was different. While the papers were scattered over the top of his desk, he held only one paper in his hands and couldn't focus on the words for the life of him. It was as though he suddenly couldn't read his own handwriting, and anything he did read wasn't absorbed. He was restless. He was tired.

Sighing out of frustration, Nick leaned back in his chair and set the paper down on the desk. He couldn't pinpoint why he felt so shitty today. He just felt a sense of restlessness that he hadn't felt for years. The urge to stand up and start pacing around the room was overwhelming. However, the part that concerned him the most was the fact that he recognized this feeling.

He glanced up briefly from his desk to the paintings hung on the wall. Perenelle.

He honestly didn't know why he kept those paintings up on the wall directly in front of his desk. Maybe to provide himself with some comfort. Or maybe because taking them down would be just as painful as letting her go. Regardless, he found himself avoiding looking up most days, and never actually looking at the contents of the pictures before him and simply staring through them without processing what was contained within. It was as though looking at them would dig even more of a hole in his already aching chest.

That's what he was feeling. Loss and loneliness. He was keenly aware of what those feelings were: one of the drawbacks to being immortal.

Yet he could definitely feel that his feelings toward the photos had changed. While he still avoided looking at them, or any picture of Perenelle for that matter, all he felt was empty. A hallow feeling in the pit of his chest that seemed to only be filled with anxiety and sadness. A feeling that was slowly taking him over, the longer he sat. The longer he lived.

He glanced at Perenelle's smiling features again and felt that familiar pain throb. He had been through this before and didn't want to feed into his desire any more than he had to, but he couldn't help it. He missed Perenelle. His wife; and really the only one who fully understood him and accepted him for who he was.

The throbbing pain seemed to grow stronger as he stared at the paintings across the room. That emptiness he was feeling seemed to fill suddenly with lead, and in a split second, he decided to indulge himself.

Slowly standing and letting his wiry silver hair curtain his face, his eyes never left the middle painting as he approached the wall.

There before him, was the perfect depiction of his wife. The heaviness in his chest grew even more and he nearly sagged in exhaustion.

Days like these, he often questioned why he was still living. Why would he want this life of loneliness and solitude? Without her, was there really a reason to keep going?

He often wondered if he should just off himself, destroy the stone, and put an end to this madness that he had to endure. Because no matter what he did, he always ended up alone…

Nick locked eyes onto the gleaming eyes of Perenelle in the painting, and slowly reached up to touch it. His fingertips brushed the side of her cheek ever so softly, just as she turned to gaze lovingly on the man in the painting beside her.

He remembered that day clearly. All of their days together. He missed just holding her and hearing her laugh. He missed her smell and her joyous laugh and her never ending thirst for knowledge, just like him.

He remembered the first day they kissed over 600 years ago. He was so nervous that he nearly missed. All she did was grab the sides of his face and forced their lips together, much to his surprise. They laughed about it right after at her forcefulness, but he knew then that she was the one for him. Even before then, he knew.

Nick smiled sadly at the memory as the painting repeated its' looped frame. His finger still barely touched the surface when he placed his entire palm on the surface and leaned forward, placing his forehead on the picture in a desperate attempt to be closer to her.

This was torture. All he wanted was someone to be with him. Someone to love him again. The years that had passed seemed to be crawling by and he didn't know how much longer he could wait.

His eyes prickled slightly and he squeezed them shut, willing the feeling away. Though it was a relief to feel something, he often welcomed the emptiness instead. At least then he could just be okay with being a bitter asshole. At least then, he didn't have to think that maybe this just wasn't worth it. That he should just end everything—

A loud knock sounded at the door. Nick opened his eyes, but remained with his forehead pressed up against the painting. He heard the knock again and slowly stepped back with his head hanging low as the door to his office slowly crept open.

"Nick?"

Nick registered the voice but didn't put together who it was right away, though he recognized it. He gave himself a moment, sighed, and looked up.

Standing before him was Harry, with his disguise melting away before him.

"Nick, I was just…are you okay?" Harry stood halfway through the doorway and looked at Nick with concern in his eyes.

Nick stared at him and felt a twinge of surprise. The heavy emptiness in his chest began to melt away. Though he could still feel it, it was greatly reduced and still receding as he stared at the young man before him.

"Sir?" Harry asked again, taking a step closer.

Nick breathed heavily out his nose as though to laugh at his own absurdity. "Yes, I'm fine boy. What is it you need?" Nick could see the concern etched in Harry's features.

Harry took a step closer. "I was just wondering if you needed help with the elixir? You said it would probably be done today."

Taking a moment to register what Harry had said, Nick yet again, surprised himself. While he was still mourning the loss of his wife and wishing she were with him, he hadn't quite realized how attached he had actually gotten to Harry. This man who waltzed into his shop and had the nerve to ask him for a job, without pay. This man who wanted to learn what he had to teach and was interested in what he had to say. This man who gave him a reason to keep living.

This man, who had become like a son to him, and stood in the doorway of his office with his brows reaching for his hairline and his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Nick managed to say through his reverie. He smiled sadly and said, "I'll meet you down in the lab."

Harry hesitated for a moment and looked between Nick and the painting in front of him. For a second, Nick thought he was going to say something, but he just huffed out a quick sigh and walked past him to open the secret entrance.

As Harry descended the steps, Nick turned to watch him for a second before turning back to the portrait. "You're going to really like this boy, Ma moitié." He gently touched her cheek again, and turned toward the entrance to his lab just as he saw Harry's messy hair disappearing beneath the steps.

This time, when he sighed, he felt the weight lift from his chest, and knew that everything was going to be okay. He knew that everything was always worth the wait. It's why he managed to keep going in his 600 years of living. But now he knew that Harry gave him a new purpose that solidified in his heart like the booming echo of the entrance to the lab sounding around him as it shut.

~Harry~

The men stepped back from the cauldron as it began to simmer once again. Harry had been keeping a keen eye on Nick since they descended into the Alchemy lab to work on the elixir. Not only had Nick's dark expression upon his entrance worried Harry, but also the fact that he wasn't nearly as snarky as he usually was. He almost seemed happy and content with himself. It was a bit disconcerting. _Maybe it's for the better?_ Harry thought briefly.

The transmutations were slowly taking effect and would need one more round with the stone before it was ready. Which gave them at least another three hours to wait.

Nick cast his protective charm around the cauldron and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead. He turned to Harry and said, "How about we take a little break?"

"What do you have in mind?" Harry asked as he wiped his hands and the Philosopher's Stone with a soft towel.

Nick reached forward and took the stone from Harry, pocketed it, and said, "I hear the new Minister has his first meeting today. Supposed to be some changes that he's making. Would be interesting to see what those changes are, don't you think?"

Harry pondered that for a second. While he wasn't too fond of going back to the ministry, he was dead curious to see what this new minister would do after all the big talk he had at his inauguration. Not to mention that Pierre would be interested too if he could pull out of this illness.

With their minds made, Harry cast his glamours back on, solidified with Nick's stasis charms, and the two disapparated to the French Ministry once again.

Upon their arrival, the first thing they noticed were the sheer amounts of people that were trying to stuff themselves into the rooms to hear him speak. _Interesting…_

Trying to blend in, the two men managed to squeeze themselves into the room with everyone else.

In their haste to find an open spot, Harry briefly noticed Hermione near the front of the room, which surprised him for a second. He knew she was working with the ministry so it really shouldn't have surprised him that much to see her.

But Harry nearly stopped when he noticed that she looked tired. She had bags under her eyes and her eyes appeared to be pink. While he was still pretty far away from her and was being jostled around by the people around him, he had known Hermione for years. Those were the tell tale signs that she was exhausted and hurting. _I'll have to talk to Bill about this…_ Harry thought as Nick dragged him along.

And just as they found a spot, the Minister and his minions, as Harry now took to calling them, entered and started the meeting.

It started off as usual, with Harry wondering why in the world they came in the first place, and wondering if maybe he should have just checked on Gabrielle and the other Delacours during their break.

But when the minister stood up and the air became thick with tension, Harry stopped thinking such things. He turned to Nick, who eyed him equally as skeptical about the minister.

"Thank you again to all of you who have come, and to all of you who are listening on the Wizarding Wireless." Christophe began. "I am so glad you are here with us today. We have a very exciting list of changes that have been approved and will take effect immediately.

First off, I would like to address everyone that a new law has been passed by our wonderful board. We have already taken action, with the success of our Aurors, and I am proud to announce that this new law is as follows:

While we have been lenient in the past, that is no more. Anyone who assaults another person on the streets, be it muggle or wizard, will be arrested immediately. This mainly includes acts of physical violence. Anyone who is involved in a verbal assault as the attacker, will not be arrested, but will be brought in for questioning."

Whispers filled the air, most of it questioning. Though Harry could definitely tell that many of the people in the room approved of the new law. Harry glanced over to Nick and saw him with his eyes narrowed.

Christophe continued. "Furthermore, anyone who was attacked or assaulted on the streets of our great country will be provided sanctuary. We will run diagnostic spells and cure any injuries in your attack, as well as provide you with a network of people who have experienced the same issues that you have. You will be taken care of. You will be safe.

I encourage you to come forward for help if you need it, for I will stop at nothing until I am satisfied that France is, once again, safe. Thank you."

The crowd began to applaud, though curious whispers still filled the room. Harry recognized those whispers from his own speeches back in his old life rebuilding the ministry. They were whispers of curiosity, nervousness, and hope. Whispers that were skeptical, yet trusted.

Nick had placed a steady hand on Harry's shoulder and jerked his head in the direction of the door. Harry nodded and began to follow Nick out of the room, despite the meeting not being over.

Once the pair reached the apparation point, the popped away back to the apothecary.

They went straight down into the Alchemy lab and Nick began pacing again. Harry sighed, knowing that he was going to be like this for a while, and turned back to the elixir. At least Nick seemed to be back to his normal self.

When Harry peered down into the contents of the solid gold cauldron, Harry took note of the barely noticeable pink sheen in its depths. The one change since they left were the tiny golden stars that began to appear.

"Hey, Nick?" Harry called out, abruptly putting an end to Nick's pacing. The man in question walked briskly to where Harry stood and peered at the contents of the cauldron.

Mumbling to himself, he took the Philosopher's Stone out of his inside pocket and dropped it into the depths. He removed the stasis charm and turned to Harry. "Will you do the honors?"

Harry's brows rose in surprise and the corners of his mouth twitched in excitement. He knew he should be more nervous of ruining the elixir, but he had watched Nick do it so many times, he was excited to have a bigger part in Pierre's cure, despite the now insistent pounding of his heart.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Harry began waving his wand in the intricate patterns. He drew the runes and whispered the incantations as recited by Nick and watched in amazement as the golden stars within the elixir exploded. The liquid stayed contained within the cauldron, and each exploding star turned the pink tinged contents into a pearly white that almost glowed.

Nick's eyes widened at the results, and smiled. Genuinely smiled and smacked Harry on the back a few times with a congratulatory smirk. "Well done."

He bottled the contents with the help from Harry, and set aside a smaller vial to study later.

Harry watched as Nick went up the stairs to send an owl to Apolline and inform her of their success. Also, to see if the family was ready to administer the elixir with them.

While Harry waited for the few minutes it took to send the owl, he walked around the lab toward the bookshelf.

Scanning the large tomes before him, he focused more on the titles than he had before and began to notice something peculiar:

There was an entire section of this bookshelf that seemed to emit something sinister. While Harry had always felt it before, he always chalked it up to feeling nervous about Pierre's condition and the weight of that on Gabrielle and her family. Now however, he felt it even with the hope that he might pull through.

Curiosity taking over, Harry leaned closer to the source of his distress and realized that the contents of that particular shelf were all covered with books pertaining to the Dark Arts.

Nearly gasping in disgust, Harry stepped back from the shelf just as he heard the door open. Harry turned toward Nick and heard him say, "Are you ready, boy?"

Harry turned to face him fully and pointed to the shelf. "What are those?"

Nick stepped forward and found the point of Harry's curiosity. "Ah, so you finally found those. I was wondering how you would react. Or if you cared."

"Of course I care, that's Dark Magic." Harry said, confused. "Why do you have dark magic books here?"

"To study from, you dimwit. Why else would I have them around?"

"But…" Harry stammered, inching away from the books.

Sighing, Nick stepped forward. "Harry, when you live to be as old as I am, you learn to love all forms of magic."

Nick walked around him and reached the shelf. He pulled out a large book and opened one particular page. "You would be surprised how many spells that are considered dark were once used to heal. And are still in practice today."

Despite being disgusted with all Dark Arts, Harry's curiosity was piqued. "What do you mean?"

"I knew you would be uncomfortable with Dark Magic so I never brought it up. I view it as an area of magic, much like Defense, Herbology, Astronomy— you name it." He showed Harry the page he held open and Harry's eyes fell to a picture of a person who was suffering from a brain decaying curse. It left the person as a shell of their former self, attacking anyone and anything it sees.

Nick continued. "If you ever read or see muggle's ideas of monsters, you can usually pinpoint where they got those ideas through magic." He flipped to another page, this time a curse that infected the blood and turned it to stone. "all the curses in this book were once spells for cures. I find that studying them not only gives me an appreciation for the ones that have suffered to create those spells, but also to know what's coming for me if I accidentally get in the way of one of them, and what to do if I am hit."

Nick closed the book and placed it back on the shelf. "Never give up an opportunity to learn, even if it makes you uncomfortable. It could save your life—or someone else's. It's how I learned so much about Pierre's condition."

Harry nodded understandingly. He was still apprehensive, but still understood what Nick was trying to tell him.

The man standing before him chuckled and said, "I won't judge you for taking a peek." He winked and walked past Harry, gesturing that he should follow. "Now, it's time for us to make an appearance."

~oOo~

The men flooed directly into the living area of Delacour Mansion. After cleaning themselves off with a quick scourgify, they were met by Fleur in the kitchen. Harry greeted her with a soft, "Hello, Fleur," to which she replied in kind.

"They are upstairs." She said, and began leading the way. She was almost floating in her elegance and excitement. Harry could only imagine what his girlfriend was thinking right now.

Nick entered first and was greeted by Apolline with an enthusiastic, "Bernie!" Gabrielle snuck behind her mother and Nick to reach Harry and grab onto him.

"Sweetheart, your shaking." Harry commented as he pulled away from her.

"I know." She said, raking her fingers through her hair. "I'm just nervous. He hasn't stirred for two days. It's like he's been in a coma."

Harry nodded his understanding and brought her in for another hug, pressing his cheek hard against the side of her head. He kissed her crown and then her lips before leading her over to his bedside.

"Jake, if you please." Nick said as they all began to circle the bed.

Gabrielle let go of her vice grip on Harry's waist as he extracted himself from her to help Nick prop Pierre up to administer the elixir.

Once situated, Nick uncorked the vial, and slowly began dropping the contents into Pierre's open mouth.

The entire room seemed to freeze in anticipation. This was their last hope. And the tension was so thick Harry swore you could cut it.

At first, nothing happened. Drop after drop slid down Pierre's throat, and Harry could begin to physically feel the hope and anticipation disappear. _Please, work Damnit._ Harry thought desperately.

Then without warning, Pierre swallowed and opened his eyes.

Apolline gasped and the room collectively let out a breath they didn't know they had been holding. Harry could see everyone begin to step forward but he held up his hand. "Stop." Harry commanded.

Nick shoved the unfinished bottle into Pierre's hands and ordered, "Drink." Pierre obeyed and took slow, labored swigs.

To their amazement, with every swallow he regained his color and transformed before their eyes. By the last drop, he looked to be completely back to his normal self.

Harry glanced back to Apolline and noticed the tears streaming down her face. He turned his attention back to the man he was supporting and whispered, "I'm going to let go now."

Pierre turned to Harry and looked at him in confusion, as though he didn't know who he was. For a split second, Harry was worried. And then Pierre let out a loud sigh of relief, as though all the pain in his body had evaporated.

Taking his wand out, Nick began to perform a few diagnostic spells as Harry stepped back. His eyes never left Pierre as Nick worked, and was only satisfied when Nick was finished.

As the spells were being performed, Pierre's eyes began to clear. The fog he was constantly under disappeared and he focused on each member of his family.

When Nick finished, he stepped back and turned to Apolline and nodded.

"Mon Amour?" Apolline whispered.

"Apolline?" Pierre whispered. He immediately held his arms out and caught his wife as she nearly fell into the bed and began to cry in relief.

Harry heard a faint "Papa!" from Fleur and Gabrielle as they too copied the actions of their mother. Harry and Nick stepped back to admire the scene as Bill stepped forward to place a hand on Fleur's back and was immediately absorbed into the family hug.

The sight before him warmed his heart, and he thanked Merlin and all the gods he could think of for helping them cure Pierre: for Gabrielle.

All his worrying and research and desperate studying attempts that kept him up at night in the hopes that he could stop Gabrielle's tears had finally paid off. And he honestly had Nick to thank for that.

"Thanks, Bernie." Harry said, extending his hand.

Nick grasped it firmly and replied, "I know the extent that one would go to for their family." His eye twinkled in an awfully reminiscent way to Dumbledore, and promptly walked over to the group. He too was drug into the mosh pit of relief, much to his dismay, and extracted himself after answering to a profusely large number of thank yous.

All Harry could think of doing was to smile happily at their fortune. He almost missed the quietly said, "Jake."

He snapped himself out of his thoughts and looked up to see Apolline holding out a hand.

A bit surprised, Harry walked over to her and took her hand. "Bernie just told us that you helped. And you finished the potion. Is that true?"

Harry looked back to find Nick but, noticed he had disappeared through the door to the hallway. Harry turned back to face Apolline and said, "Yes, I helped Bernie finish it today."

Apolline teared up again and grasped onto him in a bone crushing hug that reminded him of Mrs. Weasley. "Thank you." She said. "Thank you for saving him."

He hugged her back, only to be squeezed again by another hug from Fleur and Gabrielle. Fleur let go of him as Bill smacked him on the back, reminding him of Ron. Pierre hadn't said much as he watched the exchange but said, "Jake," in a voice that was now much stronger than he had heard it in months.

"Yes, sir?" Harry asked, not letting go of Gabrielle.

"Thank you." Pierre said, nodding respectfully to him.

Harry nodded back in the same manner. "Anytime."

Looking down to the beautiful woman beside him, he was relieved and satisfied to see her smiling and relaxed in his arms. He gently moved a piece of her hair to behind her ear and kissed her forehead gently.

The scene that played out before him made him realize something: he wanted a family. He wanted this specifically.

Harry had never had a family to call his own and the one he thought he had, had turned away from him.

He was already accepted by the love of his life; would her parents accept him as well?

An unfamiliar warmth spread through his chest at the thought of having a real family: one that didn't judge him for his decisions and accepted him for who he was and not for his fame.

Harry knew in that moment, he was going to propose to Gabrielle, and soon. He couldn't wait any longer. He knew what he wanted, and he couldn't spend another day of his life without her. He wanted a family, and he wanted to create that with her. With Pierre better, there was nothing else holding them back.

Now the hard part. Telling her parents.

~Hermione~

The door to their flat closed with a hard click. Hermione leaned back against the door and closed her eyes, hoping against hope that she could find some peace tonight.

She didn't know how much longer she could take everything that was being thrown her way. Her job was stressful. She was in charge of well over a dozen men and women in different countries, to manage them as her spies and garner all the information she could.

So far, they had been rather successful. They had information that they wouldn't have been able to find otherwise, such as secret supporters of Voldemort, even after his death and hidden pockets of Dark Magic.

But the most interesting find was that some of her spies in France had brought to her attention some ministerial changes in their country. It piqued her interested enough to attend the meeting of the public announcement of those changes. According to what that minster said, she was going to have to formulate a plan to get one of her spies in there. The new law seemed to interesting and borderline illegal to pass up.

But despite the stress at work, which she actually enjoyed, there was also stress at home.

She had to keep constant tabs and send letters throughout the day and sometimes throughout the night to make sure her spies were safe. If they were in trouble, she had to act immediately. And Hermione had taken special care of the ones who were in the most danger, specifically Victor.

Victor didn't have a disguise. He was himself, putting himself out there in real life danger every day, as well as attending his quidditch seminars and practices.

But it was worth it because she had gotten some solid and amazing information from him in the short time he had started: Mainly outing the rich snobs of the wizarding world who were trying to oust people out of their fair share of money or deals. But he had also managed to give her a lead on some of the disappearances from a few of those attacks.

The job was dangerous, and Hermione set it as her responsibility to keep them safe, much to the dismay of her husband.

Recently, he had been acting cold and unforgiving toward her. He could only see her writing and speaking to other men, while his owls always took the backburner.

If he was feeling particularly selfish, he would actually show up to the ministry in the middle of the work day to ask why she hadn't replied.

She couldn't take the stress, and honestly, she didn't know how much longer she was going to last. They really weren't married that long yet, how could things get so out of hand so quickly?

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, and her brows immediately shot to her hairline.

Standing patiently before her was Ron, holding a bouquet of flowers before a nicely set table and candles.

She glanced around at the scene before her, then met his eyes with hers.

Ron cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry."

Hermione remained silent and waited for him to continue. "I've been a real git, and I know that. I know you're busy. I know you have to protect those men and women. I know. And I'm sorry. I've only added to your stress, and it is completely unfair of me."

Tears pricked at the corners of Hermione's eyes, but she remained unmoving. He had apologized for being a prat before, but never like this.

Ron stepped forward and handed her the flowers. She breathed in their sweet scent and looked back at him. "I'm sorry 'Mione. I promise I'll try to do better."

Hermione waited for a brief second before replying. "It's not okay. But I forgive you." Ron breathed out a faint sigh of relief and waited for her to continue. "And don't promise me anything, please. Show me with your actions, not your words. And I will try to show you that I will make more of an effort for us on my end as well."

Ron smiled lovingly down at her, the smile that made her fall in love with him all those years before. He grasped onto her hand and led her to the table for supper.

~Harry~

The days that followed were slow. A week had passed since Pierre had taken the elixir and he showed signs of improvement every day. He could now walk on his own and even cast simple spells without any backfires. The greatest news was that he continued to improved every day.

One of those days back home from the Mansion, Harry was walking back home past some of the shops and stopped in front of a jewelers. He saw the sparkling rings in the window once again, and the thought hadn't left his mind since then.

He had enough saved through his account at Gringotts, he just needed to know when the time was right.

How did you know if the time was right? Should he ask her parents and then ask her? Should he tell her parents who he really is and give them time to absorb the information before asking her? Should he ask her and then tell them?

He was working himself into a frenzy and Nick picked up on it immediately. "Jake, you're breathing awfully hard there."

Harry glanced around and saw a few customers gazing at the vials in the shelves. He made up his mind. "Bernie, could I ask you something?"

Smirking, Nick walked over and stood behind the counter with Harry, waiting for his question.

Harry cleared his throat, unsure of how to start. "uhmm. I want to do something, but I don't know how."

Leaning forward, Nick said, "Go on."

Deciding to rip the band aid off and actually say it out loud, Harry said, "I want to marry Gabrielle."

If Nick was expecting something, it wasn't that. He sat in front of him for a few seconds before a beaming smile spread across his face. It was another one of those joyous expressions that transformed the man's face entirely. It was also one of those expressions that Harry hadn't seen until he walked in on him staring at his paintings.

"And when did you decide this?" Nick asked excitedly.

"Quite a while ago actually," Harry answered, slightly uneasy at his reaction. "I'm just not sure what I should do about it."

Understanding, Nick nodded his head. "You're wondering about her parents, aren't you?"

Cocking his head in surprise, Harry stammered, "How did you-?"

"I saw that same look in your eyes at the mansion." Nick explained. "You're an open book sometimes, my boy."

Breathing in uncomfortably, Harry asked, "So, what do you think I should do? Tell them everything? Propose then tell them together? I don't know what to do. What if they say no?"

"Jake, calm down." Harry took a step back as Nick helped with a customer's purchase, then turned back to him. "I'll give you a simple solution.

Ask for their permission, but tell them that they must know about you first. But ask Pierre first. You'll need him on your side if Apolline handles it badly. And trust me, I'd take an angry Pierre over an angry Apolline any day." Nick shuddered at the thought and chuckled at his own reaction.

Nick's reaction alone concerned Harry, "You think they'll be angry?" Harry asked as his brows knit together in his worry.

"Not about marrying their daughter. But possibly about lying to them for over two years. That would get you on any parent's shit list."

Harry didn't know how to respond, and in an attempt to smooth things over, Nick replied, "I wouldn't go assuming things either. You never know, maybe they'll be overjoyed."

Scoffing at his comment, Harry said, "And for some reason, I don't think that being overjoyed would be their first reaction."

Smirking on his behalf, Nick replied, "You're probably right." He helped the next customer, sent them on their way, and turned back toward Harry. "Now, have you thought about the ring you're going to get her?"

~oOo~


End file.
